Red tape hits swap transplants

Cadaver organ donation may be growing in Karnataka but the State has a long way to go when it comes to swap transplants. Domino and swap transplants are being conducted in neighbouring states, but Karnataka doesn’t have much to show in this regard.

Transplant experts at private hospitals, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said procedural delays in giving approvals and wrong understanding of the existing law for organ transplant were to be blamed.

Speaking to Deccan Herald ahead of World Organ Donation Day which is observed on August 14, Dr Shankaran Sundar, chief nephrologist at Columbia Asia Hospital, said that there was a need to promote live organ donation.

“Better networking between hospitals, both public and private, can facilitate swap and kidney transplants. Communicating with each other about patients who are awaiting organ transplant would help look for these possibilities,” he added. He also suggested that ‘organ donation’ be included in school textbooks. “There must also be better interpretation of law,” Dr Sundar added.

Dr H Sudarshan Ballal, medical director, Manipal Hospitals, spoke about the many challenges in swap transplant. “Getting permission for all donors and recipients who are mostly from different hospitals is a tough task. Putting in place the logistics is a huge nightmare. Getting the mandatory permission from the respective authorisation committee for each transplant becomes more difficult if these pairs (of donors and recipients) are from different states,” he explained.

He suggested having a uniform policy for hospitals and a robust legal network, besides using latest technology to communicate between hospitals.