81 families donated organs of loved ones, saved 213 in Maharashtra this year so far

MUMBAI: Due to altruistic donations from 81 families in Maharashtra, 213 patients with organ failure got a fresh lease of life between Jan 1 and June 30 this year, according to information provided by state health authorities at the start of the organ donation month on July 1.
Of these 81 deceased donations, 24 each took place in Mumbai and Nagpur, another 32 in Pune and one in Aurangabad.While organs such as kidneys and livers can be donated by a living donor, other organs such as heart, lungs and pancreas can only be donated by a deceased donor after the person is certified as brain dead.

Of the 213 patients who benefited, 124 got a kidney donation, another 67 got a liver, 11 got lungs and 10 got a heart donation. Only one pancreas was donated and transplanted, said the authorities.
In the past, it was said that deceased donations are low because the medical fraternity doesn’t certify brain stem death—a scientific and long process in which two different medical teams a few hours apart have to certify the irreversible condition. However, the data of the first half of 2024 reveals that 144 brain stem deaths were identified across Maharashtra, according to the Regional-cum-State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO-SOTTO) in Mumbai. “While 88 families consented to donate, some donations could not go through because of technical or medical issues with the organs,” said a senior doctor.
Dr Bharat Shah of ZTCC Mumbai said, “While we have come a long way in the last two decades, but there is still a long way ahead.” He said it is not enough to spread awareness, there also is a need to increase the number of non-transplant organ retrieval centres where a donor’s organs can be retrieved and sent for transplantation to recognised hospitals.
Dr Shah also said central authorities should crack down on centres that fail to report brain death periodically. “Out of the 40 transplant centres in Mumbai, only 10 regularly send data and carry out transplants,” he said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu managed 100 deceased donations within the first four months of the year compared with Maharashtra’s 81 in six months. “There is no point comparing Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu because donations depend on several factors. If Tamil Nadu is at the top in one year, then Maharashtra could be at the top in the next year,” said a transplant surgeon.