Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Dr Rakesh Bhargav, member of MP state advisory committee for organ donation and MP state authorisation committee for organ donations, said that there are many challenges like plugging loopholes to curb organ commerce, demand versus availability of organs in the country and how donor rights can be protected more stringently to weed out exploitation. Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA) 1994 was enacted to provide a system of removal, storage and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for prevention of commercial dealings in human organs. Free Press talked to Dr Bhargav on various issues related to organ donation and transplantation.

Excepts:

Q1-- From time to time, news of commercial dealings in organs or cash for kidney scams, surface in the media which develops misconception in public mind about organ donations. How can the administration clear the misconception when you approach for counselling?

A— The government should ensure its involvement for promotion of organ donation as ‘GOI mission’ for the public. The presence of government officials or even tehsildar on the spot will help us (counsellers) in confidence in public regarding organ donation. Currently, public perception is that whenever we talk about organ donation, it is taken for granted that doctors must be linked to any organ-racket for monitory benefit.

Q2— Is there any law or Act and how it is helpful in facilitating organ donation?

A- There is THOA Act which banned the sale of organs and only allowed organs to be given between close family members or for altruistic reasons, with no money exchanging hands. In case of any friends and close relatives, they will have to approach court. It allows a father, mother, brother or sister to donate organs. Other live donors are screened by a state transplantation authorisation committee to ascertain that they are donating organs exclusively because of emotional attachment to patients and not for monetary or material gain.

Q3—How money plays role as racket in organ donation?

A-- Unrelated organ donation has always been one-way traffic—the poor donating to the rich. The act is not strict enough to stop unrelated living donors pretending that they are a friend or relative of the recipient and are giving kidney for emotional rather than financial reasons. So there is no problem in donating organ by doctors to drivers but if the driver donates, it looks fishy and then entire hospital management comes under scanner.

Q-4—Where does Madhya Pradesh stand among other states regarding organ donations?

A- In south, Maharashtra and Gujarat, 150-200 organ donations are reported annually but in MP, it is hardly 10 a year. So there is need to raise awareness in public. The government should make the law lenient that if hospitals are not interested in taking organs after allotment, they should be allotted to other hospitals immediately if they are interested.

Q5—Can live donors also donate organs similar to brain-dead donors?

A—Live donors can donate 5 organs-- uterus, kidney, liver, skin and bone marrow. Poor success rate is for lung transplant among other organs. Otherwise, organ transplants are very successful and awareness should be raised in public as ‘government mission’ and not as ’racket’ for monetary benefit.