The city saw three cadaver donations in the last 36 hours, setting a new record. The donations that took place in different parts of the city, gave a new lease of life to eight people. Friday's donations have taken the cadaver donor tally to 25 so far this year.
Dr Sucheta Desai, organ coordinator at PD Hinduja Hospital, which saw one of the three donations, said in the last two years people had become far more aware and convincing them had become that much easier.
"People are more aware, hence approaching them has become much easier. We need more awareness on the brain-dead concept. The term still confuses people. We need to work more on cadaver-donation programme as the waiting period for organs is still 5-6 years," said Dr Desai.
Talking about the family of the 58-year-old woman, the donor in Hinduja Hospital, Dr Desai said the family donated her eyes, skin, two kidneys and liver. "The lady had a brain haemorrhage. When we informed the daughter about her mother's condition, she readily agreed, saying her mother had wished to donate her eyes and would be happy if her others organs too gave others life. Her husband's eyes too were donated after his death. Such families give us a lot of encouragement," said Dr Desai.
The other two cadaver donations took place in Jupiter Hospital (Thane) and Lilavati Hospital, Bandra.
As transplant is the only cure for patients with organ failure, health experts feel brain death should be recognised and cadaver donations promoted. While Mumbai has been lagging behind, Chennai manages over 80 cadaver donors every year.
Dr Rakesh Rai, liver transplant surgeon at Fortis Hospital said: "It's good to see cadaver donations making a significant rise so far this year. The best part is that the donations took place at different hospitals. However, we still have a long way to go."
The Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC), Mumbai has decided to strengthen the cadaver donation programme in the 29 non-transplant organ retrieval centres (NTORC) in Mumbai metropolitan region.
"We recently had the first successful cadaver donation from NTORCs, and hope more NTORCs would come forward. Our counsellors will help them in preparing their staff for the job," added Dr Sujata Patwardhan, general secretary, ZTCC.
In 2014, so far 41 kidneys and 20 livers have been donated.
In 2013, Mumbai saw 21 cadaver donations where 36 kidneys and 19 livers were donated. Cadaver donations in Mumbai plummeted after touching a record high of 26 in 2012. The trend of cadaver donations has always fluctuated wildly in the city. In 2012, organ donations touched an all-time high of 26 as the issue took the centre stage following Vilasrao Deshmukh's death due to liver failure.
1. What is cadaver organ donation?
In cadaver organ donation, healthy organs and tissues of a brain-dead person are transplanted into another who needs it/them.
2. Who can donate?
Family of a person who has been announced brain-dead by the doctor.
3. What's waiting period?
Once a patient has kidney/liver/heart failure, s/he has to enlist himself/herself at a hospital or ZTCC for organ transplant. The hospitals in coordination with ZTCC maintain a waiting list. The donated organs are given as per the waiting list.
4. Who's a brain-dead person?
Brain death is the complete and irreversible loss of brain function (including involuntary activity necessary to sustain life).
5. What's a non-transplant organ retrieval centre (NTORC)?
They are hospitals that don't have transplant programme but in case they have a brain-dead person, they have the licence to retrieve his/her organs.
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