Telangana needs to amp up efforts to promote organ donation

Hyderabad: Both the State government and the Health department have zero focus on the organ donation activities. There is only one government organ collection centre in the State, in Warangal district, which has no proper facilities to operate. Even after donors call for donation it doesn't have facilities to get organs due to lack of infrastructure.

Organ donation rate in Telangana is only one per cent. Lack of awareness among people is one of the major reasons. People have many myths about it and hesitate to donate organs; convincing people for donation is a tough task.

A few NGOs are working jointly with the government to establish 'Jeevandan', but they do not have facilities to create public awareness on organ donation. Employees working under Jeevandan said there are only two centres in the State; one is being operated in Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) hospital, Warangal, and the other in the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS). These centres don't even have basic facilities, like vehicle to reach the donor.

According to Dr Ashok Parikipandla, general Secretary, Telangana Eye Organ Body Donors Association (TEOBDA), "Every district in Telangana should have a transportation system to shift bodies to a nearby government medical college. Also, a separate section is needed for cornea collection mechanism in all district hospitals. He said cornea collection is to be done within four hours, but unfortunately it is hard to reach the donor on time due to poor facilities."

In countries Like Sri Lanka, Australia, it is mandatory that the government can collect eyeballs and cornea from a body without family consent. Telangana is very poor in organ donation; organ donors should come forward as it helps others to get a new life, he added.

According to statistics, on an average of 15-20 body organs are being donated to Jeevandan in a month, including, liver, heart, kidney, nerves and cornea, which provide new life to about 50-80 persons. The number will increase if infrastructure is provided. A proposal has been submitted to the government to set up more centres at Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar and Sangareddy.

WHAT HAS TO BE DONE…

♥ Organ donations will increase once a proposal on more organ collection centres is accepted by the government.

♥ Organ donations dropped this year compared to 2020. By August last year the total organ collection by Jeevandan was 351 while it has dropped to 257 this August. Telangana was number one earlier in 2018 in organ donation but Tamilnadu takes over Telangana and left the state behind

♥ Plans are afoot to launch awareness drives in rural areas on organ donation