Tamil Nadu leads nation in organ donation

Coimbatore: In the last six years, 530 families have come forward to donate organs in Tamil Nadu, despite their moments of grief, a top official of the cadaver transplant programme in the state said here on Saturday.

While many of them are from humble backgrounds and had not even heard of organ donation earlier, it was their large heartedness which made them offer this help, Dr Amolorpavanathn, Coordinator of the programme said.

He was addressing an organ donation and Transplant coordination symposium, organised by GKNM Hospital and Mohan Foundation here.

Stating that the requirement for organs is huge today and hundreds of men, women children and elders are waiting for a transplant, he said of the over 100 people who register and wait for organs every month in Tamil Nadu, only 30 to 40 are able to get the organs.

"Since we have a high number of brain deaths in hospitals which go unnoticed, it is possible to get more organ donations with proper awareness and training," he said.

It was here that doctors and nurses have to play a vital role since most people requiring organs are poor. It was imperative to provide organ transplant either totally free or at an affordable cost, Amalorpavanathan said.

Dr Sunil Sharoff, founder, MOHAN Foundation (Multi Organ Harvesting And Networking) said Coimbatore is among the very few Tier II cities to have taken up cadaver donations. While all over India, there were 310 organ donors last year, Tamil Nadu alone had 131 organ donors -- over 40 per cent of the country's tally, he said.