Organ transplantation: Govt to train professionals from other states

Kolkata: Bengal government, which has already spearheaded the movement for organ transplantation in the Eastern region, is now organising training programmes for medical or non-medical professionals from its neighbouring states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and Tripura.

This is a unique initiative taken by the state Health department where doctors from other states will take part in the awareness campaigns.

The programme will mainly focus on various parameters that need to be followed during an organ transplant.

The Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) in Bengal monitors the organ donation process in neighboring states as well. A senior official of the state Health department said an awareness campaign was carried out in the city where medical professionals from other states also took part.

"During the awareness programme, a lot of sensitive issues were discussed, including the process on how and when a patient can be declared brain dead. The department is also focusing more on awareness programmes in the city which is expected to see participation of doctors from other states as well. To spread awareness, various NGOs are also being involved in the process," a senior official of the Health department said.

"We are conducting awareness campaigns in the city, including various state-run and private hospitals of the state, and making them aware about the mandatory pre-requisite parameters before declaring a patient brain dead and how the whole process of organ transplantation can be done," the official added.

It may be mentioned that incidents of organ transplantation have gone up in the past one year due to constant efforts by the Bengal government.

The city has also witnessed a number of incidents where organs have been transported from one hospital to the other in the city, sometimes from outside the state as well, through a Green Corridor set up by the city police.

When asked whether any patient requiring organ transplantation could be brought to the city hospital from a district through a Green Corridor, the heath official said there is always a risk to bring a critical patient from far flung districts. The family members of such patients are not always ready to take the risk.

Bengal has achieved significant success so far. There is also a need to spread awareness among people so that relatives of the brain dead patients come forward and donate the organs of their dear ones.

Organ donation in the state mainly depends on the efforts of the individuals.