PANAJI
In the last five years, 26 patients lost their lives waiting for the life-saving organ transplants while currently as many as 78 patients including 16 inactive patients are on the official waiting State list for kidney transplant alone.
According to the information provided by Health Minister Vishwajit Rane 1860 people from Goa have pledged for organ donation.
Rane said that among the solid organs, only kidney transplant facilities are available in three Goa hospitals -- Goa Medical College and Hospital, Manipal Hospital and Healthway Hospitals.
As per the waiting list available with the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO), currently 78 patients are waiting for deceased donor kidney transplant; this includes 62 active patients and 16 inactive. Total 16 kidney transplants have been performed so far.
Among the tissues, only cornea transplant facility is available at two hospitals that is ASG Eye Hospital & Healthway Hospitals. Till date, total 41 corneal transplants have been performed in Goa (34 by ASG Eye Hospital and 7 by Healthway Hospitals); however, SOTTO does not maintain a waiting list for cornea.
Rane said that there have been eight deceased and 49 living donors, who have donated organs like kidney, liver, heart, lungs and corneal transplant. There have been a total of 36 kidney transplants, 41 corneal transplants, seven liver, four heart and two lung transplants in the State.
Stating that there have been 26 deaths in the last five years due to non-availability of required organ, the Minister said that there has never been a delay in allocation, which has resulted in any wastage/non utilization of organs.
He said that the non-consenting for organ donation has been largely due to personal belief systems and non-acceptance of death by neurological criteria.
Rane said that SOTTO Goa in collaboration with the Department of Nephrology has taken initiative to start a Joint Transplant Clinic at GMC and it is held twice a week. Under this, the chronic kidney disease patients requiring kidney transplant are evaluated by multi-disciplinary team of urologist, surgeon, cardiologist, etc.
