Pandemic brings cadaver organ donations to a halt in Karnataka

Although almost 4,000 sufferers are ready for varied organ transplants in Karnataka, there have been hardly 5 cadaveric donations through the pandemic. This consists of one pores and skin donation.

Jeevasarthakathe, the State’s nodal company that facilitates cadaver organ donations, has recorded solely 4 donations since April, retrieving 22 organs, whereas the State’s solely pores and skin financial institution in Victoria Hospital has received only one donation throughout these months.

During the corresponding interval final yr, whereas 105 cadaveric donations had been facilitated by way of Jeevasarthakathe (whereby 511 organs had been retrieved) the pores and skin financial institution had seen 40 donations. This has created a big demand-supply hole in organ transplantation in the State.

Jeevasarthakathe convener Kishore Phadke, who attributed this to the concern of COVID-19, mentioned many households had been unwilling to permit a virus check to be performed on the cadaver. “This is not a phenomena unique to Karnataka as organ donations have decreased globally,” he mentioned.

Changed state of affairs

With the whole concentrate on COVID-19, transplants had come to a standstill in a number of hospitals. However, the state of affairs has modified now and most hospitals have restarted organ transplants.

While Manipal Hospitals’ Old Airport Road department has performed 11 dwell renal transplants and one cadaver renal transplant through the previous few months, Aster CMI and Aster RV hospitals have performed 11 liver transplants, 12 kidney transplants and 5 bone marrow transplants. Likewise, Apollo Hospitals group in Bengaluru has performed a whole of 16 transplants (9 kidney and 7 liver).

Sonal Asthana, Senior Consultant, Hepatobilary and Liver Transplant Surgery at Aster CMI Hospital, mentioned many sufferers ready for liver and kidney transplants have had severe implications due to low organ donations.

“We are currently dependent on live liver transplants for patients who are critically ill and cannot survive. There is also a lot of stress while operating during such times as we not only have to focus on saving the life of patients but also have to take care of our team and have to ensure that all the precautions are undertaken to avoid any contamination,” he mentioned.

Sudarshan Ballal, Chairman of Manipal Hospitals, mentioned the hospital had realised that the brand new regular was to co-exist with the pandemic.

“For many patients, transplantation is the only hope. Despite the prevailing pandemic environment, we are putting in efforts to create more awareness about organ donations so that we can provide a better quality of life to our patients,” he mentioned.

Vishwanth. S, head of the division of Nephrology, at Manipal Hospitals, mentioned the hospital resumed its transplant programme through the prolonged lockdown, sustaining an infection-free atmosphere all through.

“Approximately 2,20,000 people in India require kidney transplantation annually due to renal failure mostly resulting from long-standing diabetes and hypertension. However, only 7,500 transplants are possible due to the lack of donors. At present, cadaver kidney transplantation accounts for only 10% of all kidney transplants,” he mentioned.

Although the speed of cadaver kidney transplants has improved three-fold since 2012, it dropped down considerably in the wake of the pandemic, he added.

Waitlist of sufferers enrolled with Jeevasarthakathe

Kidney: 2,738

Liver: 1,017

Heart: 102

Lung: 51

Liver and kidney: 22

Kidney and pancreas: 14

Cadaver donations since April 4

Organs retrieved: 22 (two hearts, 4 livers, six kidneys, two small bowels, two coronary heart valves, six corneas)

Skin donation: One