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Organ donation picks up in Karnataka, 14 get new lease of life
Fourteen people got a new lease of life after the families of two patients, who were declared brain dead on Thursday, decided to donate their organs
Fourteen people got a new lease of life after the families of two patients, who were declared brain dead on Thursday, decided to donate their organs. 40-year-old Lawrence from Hunsur and 48-year-old Shobha from Kushalnagar were brought to Apollo BGS Hospitals in Mysuru from two different private hospitals in critical condition on Monday.
Lawrence had met with an accident and was declared brain dead due to brain stem failure, while Shobha had suffered from a brain hemorrhage and was also declared brain dead on Thursday. According to the hospital authorities, the families came forward to offer their organs.
This incident has brought relief to officials at the Jeevana Sarthakathe, who have been struggling to get organ donors during the pandemic. Jeevana Sarthakathe is the nodal agency for organ donations in the state. According to officials, the numbers of donations are showing signs of improvement. However, with more than 5,000 people on the waiting list, they believe more awareness is needed.
The records of Jeevana Sarthakathe, the donations of organs had dropped drastically during the pandemic. While the state saw 105 donations in 2019, this number dropped to 35 in 2020. “With a big waiting list, getting people to donate has always a been a problem. The difficulties that came with the pandemic made it even worse,” said Lijamol Joseph, Chief Transplant Coordinator for the state.
One of the biggest problems faced during the pandemic was the lack of medical facilities. A transplantation or organ donation requires Intensive Care Units and during the pandemic, they were short in supply. “We were taken by surprise by the pandemic. So, most of the hospitals dedicated the ICUs for Covid-19 cases. But now we have learned from it. This time around, there is better ICU management among hospitals,” she said.
Karnataka health minister Dr K Sudhakar on Thursday said that steps have been taken since Covid-19 has hampered blood and organ donation in the state. “Covid-19 has hampered blood and organ donation. We have taken few special measures to encourage organ donation in the state. We are planning to reorganize Jeevana Sarthakathe in the coming days,” said the health minister.
To promote organ donations, on August 13, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai had registered himself as an organ donor.
As of August, there are 5,056 patients listed for organs transplant. Out of this, 3,756 patients require kidneys, and this is followed by 1,084 patients who need liver transplantation. There is a requirement for 113 heart transplants, 48 lung transplants and there are 22 patients who require both heart and lungs.
The increase in the number of donations in 2021 is however giving hope. Until August 2021, the number of donations has already gone past the numbers in 2020. Officials believe that if the number of donations could surpass the numbers in 2019. “There is a big change in attitude. Earlier, we had to sit with families and convince them, but now they are coming forward to offer organs once they realize the medical condition of the family members,” said Joseph.
She added the family of actor Sanchari Vijay coming forward to donate his organs has had a big impact. 38-year-old Vijay was declared brain dead on June 15, after he met with a motorcycle accident. The decision of the actor’s family to come forward to offer his organs had made the headlines and this has helped spread the message among the rural areas, said Joseph.
“The news (of actor’s organ donation) has traveled to the rural parts, and we see more people talking about it. This is a good sign. We are happy with how things are changing but as much awareness about organ donation is needed,” she said.
