'We get unflinching support from the state'

Transparency and state support has made Tamil Nadu's cadaver organ donation programme successful, says Dr Amalorpavanathan, convenor, Cadaver Transplant Programme, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai.

Transparency and state support has made Tamil Nadu's cadaver organ donation programme successful, says Dr Amalorpavanathan, convenor, Cadaver Transplant Programme, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai.

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What are the major bottlenecks for organ donation?
There are administrative bottlenecks, such as getting the family to consent for the donation, and going through the legal procedures for getting written consent from them. The process also get affected by delays in procedures like the police inquest.

What measures by Tamil Nadu helped made the cadaver donation programme successful?
An advisory committee is in place, which constantly helps clear up legal, technical, ethical and clinical issues. Also, two NGOs, the MOHAN foundation and NNOS (National Network for Organ Sharing), have helped the programme a lot.

As huge expense is involved in maintaining cadavers, does the Tamil Nadu government provide monetary support to centres that maintain cadavers?
A private donor hospital in Tamil Nadu is entitled to be reimbursed (by the organ recipients) for all costs incurred on the donor cadaver – from the time the donor family consents to the donation, assistance in removing, transporting and preserving the organs.

The reimbursement is subject to a ceiling amount of Rs75,000. This cost will be distributed equally among (recipients of) all major organs – such as the kidney, liver and heart – removed from the cadaver.

Government donor hospitals and government recipient hospitals are excluded from this procedure.

(Organ recipient does not have to pay for retrieval or maintaining patient.)