Organ donations and awareness have increased since announcement of state honours: TN health minister

Chennai: The Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (Transtan) has received organs from at least one person once in every two days since September when the government announced state honours for deceased donors, health minister Ma Subramanian said on Friday.

“At least 26 donations have taken place in the last 55 days in the state. State representatives have accorded state honours to each of these departed souls,” the minister said after placing a wreath on the body of 26-year-old A Kaliamurthy of Villupuram whose organs were donated by his family members.

Kaliamurthy was admitted to Chennai’s Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGH).

His father, a retired government employee, and his mother, the headmistress of a government primary school, signed the form to donate his organs after he was declared brain dead.

“Their donation at the time of grief has offered a fresh lease of life to critically ill patients,” he said.

The hospital staff gave an “honour walk” as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Transtan allotted his kidneys to a chronic renal failure patient in Government Stanley Medical College Hospital while RGGH retained the heart and liver for patients there. The eyes were sent to the Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Egmore.

In September, chief minister M K Stalin announced that the state honours would be accorded to organ donors. Since then, the number of people who have made voluntary online registrations for organ donations have increased, Subramanian said. “Until September 23, 8,234 people had pledged their organs online. Over the last 55 days, 2,890 people have pledged their organs,” he said.

The increase in awareness about organ donation would offer hope to more than 7,000 people who are on the organ donation waiting list, he said.

According to Transtan, there are 6,629 patients waitlisted for kidney, 465 for liver, 68 for lungs, 80 for heart, 25 people for heart and lung, 26 people for hand, 42 for kidney and liver, 41 for kidney and pancreas, one patient for heart and liver and one patient for pancreas, small bowel and stomach.