Organ transplantation in Kerala is caught up in a fresh row at a time when it is yet to recover from the steep fall in cadaver organ donations due to alleged unethical practices.
As of now around 2,220 persons are awaiting cadaver kidney donations in Kerala, whereas only around 50 cadaver organ transplants were taking place annually over the last few years. The fresh row over alleged laxity in kidney transplant is likely to cast further shadow over cadaver organ donations, state health department sources said.
While around 200 cadaver organ transplantation used to take place in Kerala during 2015-16, in the subsequent years there was steep decline, falling below 50. Allegations of unethical practices in brain death declaration was considered to be a key reason. The medical fraternity in Kerala even used to lament that a 2018 Malayalam film, 'Joseph', on the unethical practices in cadaver organ donations was also a reason for fall in organ donations.
According to the data available form Kerala Network for Organ Sharing there was a steep increase in cadaver organ donation from 2014 onwards. While the cadaver organ donations in Kerala during 2012 and 2013 were only 22 and 88 respectively, it went up to 156 in 2014, 218 in 2015 and 199 in 2016, which was considered to be due to massive organ donation campaigns.
Subsequently there were allegations over brain death declarations, especially at private hospitals, and harvesting of organs by pursuing the relatives of the deceased. It could be the reason for a steep decline in cadaver organ donations to 60 in 2017, 29 in 2018, 55 in 2019, 70 in 2020 and 49 in 2021. This year so far only 22 cadaver organ donations have taken place.
A doctor at the Thiruvananthapuram medical college pointed out that even as the Kerala government had brought out fresh rules for brain death declaration, the cadaver organ donations did not increase. Hence the fresh row over the alleged laxity in a kidney transplantation at the medical college may further affect cadaver organ donations in the state.
The fresh row is over the alleged delay in transplanting a kidney brought to the Thiruvananthapuram medical college from Kochi on Sunday. The 62-year old recipient even died on Monday and two senior doctors were suspended.
Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association representatives said that an attempt to sabotage the organ transplants being conducted in government hospitals could be suspected in the incident and hence a detailed investigation was required.
While the hospital authorities faced allegations of lack of coordination in receiving the kidney brought from Kochi, the hospital authorities even lodged a police complaint against couple of ambulance drivers accusing them of creating a mess by taking away the container with kidney from the doctors who brought it from Kochi. The doctors at the medical college have also launched agitation against the suspension of the senior doctors.