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Organ transplants: Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic awaits DHS nod for new committee
According to the hospital authorities, many critical patients in need of organ transplants are being transferred to other hospitals
Even after a month of getting an approval to form the organ transplant committee, city-based Ruby Hall Clinic awaits final okay for committee members from the directorate of health services (DHS).
According to the hospital authorities, many critical patients in need of organ transplants are being transferred to other hospitals.
Manjush Kulkarni, legal advisor, Ruby Hall Clinic, said that the names of the new committee were forwarded to DHS. “The approval is pending. Many patients are waiting for the committee to form for their surgeries to take place. One of the patients, who was critical, passed away recently. And three patients sought change in hospital because of the delay. The wait in forming the committee is impacting kidney, liver, cornea and heart transplants at the hospital,” Kulkarni said.
Aarti Gokhale, central coordinator, Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC), said that Pune division has seen 41 kidney and 22 liver transplants from cadaver donations from January till July 20.
“There were also two heart and one kidney and pancreas transplants reported during this period. With 23 cadaver transplants, Pune is leading in performing organ transplants in Maharashtra,” said Gokhale, adding that heart transplants in 2022 have been less as compared to previous years.
“For crucial transplant surgeries like heart transplant, many factors between the donor and the recipient have to be considered. A transplant is given a go signal only if all criteria are satisfied,” said Gokhale.
The challenges faced by transplant patients do not seem to lessen for the next week. The regional authorisation committee that okays live organ transplant cases across Pune has not yet started its function despite getting three transplant applications.
The Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) gave its nod to Sassoon General Hospital to re-establish a seven-member new committee on June 15. The regional authorisation committee is responsible for scrutinisation of documents for live organ transplant cases in five districts. However, so far, the committee has met just once for its introductory preparatory meeting.
Dr Meenakshi Deshpande, president, Indian Medical Association (IMA) Pune, and one of the members of the regional authorisation committee said that three applications have been received.
“We will be holding the second meeting soon when the committee verifies the documents of applicants by either police or government authority. The second meeting is likely next week,” said Deshpande.
