Maharashtra govt clears decks for kidney transplants

The decks have been cleared for kidney transplants in Pune after a decision by the state government to issue a letter to hospitals across the state promising to provide two state government nominees to authorise all transplants.

Transplants had been suspended in city hospitals since April 1.   An amendment in the Human Organ Transplant Act in June 2008 had made it mandatory for the presence of two government nominees on the hospital panel to approve all transplants. However, this was never communicated to the hospitals till March 31, 2011. 

When the matter was brought to the notice of hospitals, all transplants were suspended from April 1. 

Confirming the latest move, director of state health services, Dr DS Dakhure, told DNA the government had issued a letter on Thursday after the city-based Jehangir Hospital had requested the government to provide an immediate solution to the matter. 

“Two of our nominees will assist the hospital authorisation committee in reviewing the cases, interviewing the patients and donors and approving kidney transplant of a patient,” Dakhure said. 

According to Vrinda Pusalkar, medical social worker at Jehangir Hospital, April did not see a single kidney transplant taking place in the city.  “At Jehangir at least four to five transplants take place every month. There are now 12 patients on the waiting list since April 1,” she said. 

Chief executive officer of Jehangir Hospital, George Eapen, told DNA on Thursday that most patients on the waiting list were in the age group of 20 to 35 years.