A lot needs to be done to encourage kidney donors: Dr Abhay Sadre

As hospitals and organisations across the world gear up to celebrate Organ Donors’ Day on November 30, experts say that the number of kidney donations in India is far too less as compared to the numbers required.

In a bid to encourage kidney donors and bust some myths about
transplants, Pune Nephrology Group and Ruby Hall Clinic have organised a musical night and felicitation of kidney donors. Nephrologist, Dr Abhay Sadre, tells DNA Khan about the lack of kidney donors, increasing the burden of patients.

Q: How many people need kidney transplants and how many actually manage to get a  donor?
A: Though no one has estimated the statistics for the city, at Ruby Hall Clinic we have at least 30 new patients every month requiring transplants, and only four or five of them find donors. In India, it is estimated that there are 40,000 patients in need of kidney transplants, but only 2 among 10 patients find donors. It is a sad
situation; in fact, the number of donors is dwindling in comparison to the last decade.

Q: Why do you think the number of donors has dwindled over the years?
A: One reason could be nuclear families and lesser bonding between family members, which is a growing social problem. A decade ago, I was with a government hospital, and there used to be a waiting list of at least 40 patients with donors. Now at the same hospital, only two transplants take place in a month. Besides, maybe people do not want to donate because they are  unwilling to make changes in lifestyle.

Q: What should be done to promote organ donation?
A: Firstly, government policies and documentation process need to become simpler and more patient-friendly. This year, the act governing transplants was amended and kidney donations had stopped for 4-5 months. Even the reason for change was not clear, so a policy should be such that people get encouraged, not put off.

Besides, more awareness programmes and felicitation of donors need to be held. We also need to boost cadaveric donations to take the pressure off living donors.

Q: How is the response to cadaver organ donations?
A: It is very low, almost negligible. Sadly, unlike foreign countries, people are yet to understand the idea of brain death. Even doctors are afraid of declaring brain deaths and tell relatives to hope for a miracle.

Even if a person agrees to donate his organs, the next of kin has to agree for doctors to retrieve an organ, which is difficult. So, if we really want to boost organ donation, a strong policy like declaring the organs of a brain dead patient government property or making organ donation mandatory should be brought in.