The Patils had to run from pillar to post to get state permission for the transplant
It is because of 63-year-old Shalabai Patil that her grandson Akshay will get a new lease of life. Shalabai donates her kidney to the 20-year-old youth, who is suffering from a congenital renal disorder, on Tuesday.
The transplant takes place at PD Hinduja Hospital, Mahim, following the state authorisation committee's approval, which has come after two months of rigorous follow-up by the patient's family. Akshay suffers from Reflux Nephropathy, wherein the reverse flow of urine into the kidney damages the organ.
It has been a nightmare for the Patils, trying to obtain the state's consent for the procedure. The papers related to seeking permission for transplant had been lying with the Director of Medical Education and Research (DMER) for over two months.
However, Dr Pravin Shingare, Director, DMER, and chairman of Authorisation committee, expressed surprise over Akshay's case being delayed. "I do not know why his case took such a long time. The Human Organ Transplant Act, 1994, will soon be amended. In the interim, we have sent directives to all hospitals to expedite cases similar to Akshay and Salabhai's."
Hinduja hospital, however, has a different story to tell. "We have not received any interim directive from the DMER, which is why we are sticking to the old procedure," said Dr Jatin Kothari, consultant nephrologist at the hospital.
Talking about the transplant Act, Kothari says unlike Goa, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal, and all Union territories, which have already amended the law to facilitate transplants, Maharashtra is yet to make suitable changes in this regard.
According to Kothari, "This is a rare case where the grandmother is donating a kidney to her grandson. Despite old age, we found her fit for transplant."
Usually getting permission from the state authorities is an unwieldy and time-consuming process. It subjects the patient and his family to mental and physical agony. Kothari emphasised the need to streamline the legal procedure for transplants in the state.
The Patils are keeping their fingers crossed. "After the doctors advised us for Akshay's kidney transplant, we discussed the matter at home. That's when my mother came forward. After thorough investigations, doctors declared her fit to be a donor. But, the wait was due to the delay in getting permission from the authorities," said Raghunath Patil, father of Akshay.
He added, "I am very thankful to the hospital that my transplant is being done free of cost as I belong to the poor category."
Are grandmother, grandson kin?
In India, kidney transplants are done as per Human Organ Transplant Act, 1994. If donor-recipient are close relatives, permission is given at the level of the hospital authorisation committee, which has one member from the health department. If the donor is a distant relative or not related to the recipient, the State Authorisation committee, headed by Director of Medical Education and Research (DMER) will cross-check documents to ensure that the donor is bonafide. The committee also interviews the donor. In this case, the delay occurred as the law doesn't state whether a grandmother and grandson are distant or blood relatives.
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