Maha to roll out ‘hub-and-spoke’ model to boost organ donation and transplant

The state currently has only one transplant centre in Amravati and another facility will come up in Nashik

Maharashtra will roll out the ‘Hub-and-Spoke’ model, linking key hospitals to expand organ donation and transplant services, with six regional hubs planned to cut waiting lists and improve access, health minister Prakash Abitkar said on Thursday.

During the meeting, presentations were made by hospitals, including referral centres in Amravati and Nashik, Aundh Civil Hospital, Thane Civil Hospital and Pt Bhimsen Joshi Hospital in Mira-Bhayandar on their work in organ donation and transplantation (HT)

According to health officials, ‘hubs’ are public hospitals equipped to conduct organ transplants. ‘Spokes’ are public hospitals, equipped with facilities like an ICU and operating theatre, that can declare brain-dead patients and harvest organs. Under the proposed model, spokes will link to hubs in their respective divisions.

The state currently has only one transplant centre in Amravati and another facility will come up in Nashik. The proposed model will expand transplant facilities at key centres, including Pune, Amravati, Nashik, Thane, Mira-Bhayandar and Mumbai. Six regional hubs are planned to improve coordination and access to services across the state. The minister issued the orders during a Wednesday meeting with senior health officials, deputy directors, medical officers and subject experts.

Abitkar said, “Organ donation is not merely a medical procedure but a new lease of life from one family to another. This noble act must be encouraged at a societal level. We need to strengthen systems in government hospitals, especially counselling relatives of brain-dead patients, to create a positive environment for organ donation.”

The minister directed officials to enhance organ donation processes in public hospitals by setting up dedicated counselling and guidance units, appointing and training specialist doctors, and conducting regular workshops, awareness drives and training sessions. He also called for a bi-monthly review of brain-death cases across the state.

During the meeting, presentations were made by hospitals, including referral centres in Amravati and Nashik, Aundh Civil Hospital, Thane Civil Hospital and Pt Bhimsen Joshi Hospital in Mira-Bhayandar on their work in organ donation and transplantation. Mumbai’s Wadia Hospital presented its work in paediatric liver transplants and highlighted the role of telemedicine in providing expert guidance to hospitals across the state.