Haryana sees 22% rise in patients waiting for organ transplants

Ipsita Pati / TNN / Updated: Nov 1, 2023, 10:20 IST

Share

AA

Text Size

Small
Medium
Large

The number of people awaiting organ transplants in Haryana has increased by 22% compared to last year. The state is experiencing a significant rise in patients in need of organs, while the number of organ donors remains low. Gurgaon has the highest number of patients on the waiting list, followed by Faridabad, Ambala, and Panchkula. The majority of patients are waiting for kidney donations, followed by liver, heart, lungs, and intestine. Lack of awareness and the absence of cadaver banks are hindering organ donation efforts.

Haryana sees 22% rise in patients waiting for organ transplants

Image used for representative purpose only

GURGAON: The state has seen a 22% rise in the number of people awaiting organ transplants this year compared to 2022. The number of people donating organs in the state is negligible when compared to that of patients in need of them, which skyrocketed from 46 in 2018 to 420 in 2019 (a whopping 813% rise).

While 1,144 patients were waiting for organs in 2020, the number rose to 1,521 in 2021, 2,737 in 2022 and 3,353 this year, according to the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).
Gurgaon tops this year’s waiting list in the state with 571, followed by Faridabad (392), Ambala (256) and Panchkula (244). The maximum patients — 2,613 — are waiting for donation of one or both kidneys in Haryana, followed by liver (555), heart (88), lungs (42) and intestine (6).

According to the health department, few opt for organ donations in Haryana even though the state government and the Centre are taking a number of steps to encourage donors. “Only 10% of the state’s demand is met in private hospitals, and in all these cases, the patients bring their own donors. Lack of awareness and cadaver banks where the donated organs like bones and eyes can be stored is hampering organ donation,” an official said.

Transplant organs are predominantly retrieved from cadaveric donors, and less often from living donors. The ongoing organ shortage, due to the exceeding number of patients needing a transplant over the number of available organs, has led to the implementation of new strategies to expand the donor pool. The health department officers also agreed that though Gurgaon has emerged as a hub for liver and kidney transplantation, the donors are mostly relatives.
“We are already in the process of developing a donor pool here and have run several campaigns to raise awareness among the public. Private hospitals are handling such cases at present and we have appealed to them to create a bank for the cadaver donorsby talking to relatives of brain-dead patients and encourage them to donate the organs,” said Dr Virender Yadav, CMO, Gurgaon.
Brain stem death declaration is essential for organ donation.

We also published the following articles recently

Doctor: Awareness needed on organ donation urgently
Dr Yusuf Kumble, chief interventional cardiologist at Indiana Hospital and Heart Institute, emphasized the importance of raising awareness about organ donation and kidney transplantation. He stated that despite the long history of organ transplantation in India, many tier-two and tier-three cities lack awareness of this life-saving procedure. To address this, he called for a multi-pronged approach including public awareness campaigns and the establishment of clear rules and regulations for organ transplantation. Additionally, Dr Kumble highlighted the need for uniform laws and policies across India to promote organ donation consistently.

Kin of brain-dead man donate liver and kidneys; 38th donation this yr
The city of Mumbai has witnessed its 38th deceased organ donation this year, with the family of a 66-year-old brain-dead man donating his kidneys and liver. This marks a 30% increase in organ donations compared to last year, with 106 organ donations made by 35 cadaveric donors between January 1 and September 30, 2022. The average number of organs donated per donor has also increased from 2.7 to three this year.

Number of cardiac patients below 40 years on the rise
The death of a 30-year-old doctor in Kolkata has raised concerns about the rising number of young people suffering from cardiac arrests. A recent study shows that students of prestigious institutes and those with high-pressure jobs are increasingly experiencing heart attacks before the age of 40. Blockages in cardiac arteries are occurring at a younger age, with exposure to pollution and high levels of stress being contributing factors. Experts believe that unhealthy lifestyles and stress are making young individuals more prone to heart attacks.

End of Article

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA