Srinagar: There has been a large deficit between demand and availability of organs and tissues in J&K like other parts of the country, Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma said on Monday.
While addressing a press conference at Super Speciality Hospital Jammu, Dr Sharma said that GMC Jammu has been working to start deceased organ donation from brain-dead persons as well.
While elaborating on the importance of Human Organ/Tissue Transplantation said that there has been a large deficit between demand and availability of organs and tissues in India including Jammu and Kashmir.
The Director said that the Renal and Corneal transplant programme is running successfully in Government Medical College Jammu and praised the efforts of GMC administration, faculty, and staff for making the best services available to the patients.
“GMC has also been arranging training for Transplant Surgeons, Nurses and Transplant Coordinators, etc. in collaboration with SOTTO J&K at PGIMER Chandigarh and other institutions,” Dr Sharma said.
She apprised that GMC Jammu is the first Hospital to perform a live Kidney Transplant in the Jammu Division.
She said that SOTTO J&K established in September 2019 at Super Specialty Hospital Jammu, has been working hard to create awareness of organ donation. It has organized around 140 awareness campaigns and more than 1400 people have pledged their organs for donation during these activities.
GMC Jammu has done 13 Renal Transplants, all under Ayushman Bharat with logistics provided by the Hospital since its registration from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in April 2022, she said, adding that an Eye Bank has been established in the Department of Ophthalmology which has performed 04 Corneal Transplants giving sight to the blind after its registration from DGHS in March 2022.
She also informed that GMC Jammu has been working to start deceased organ donation from brain-dead persons diagnosed after road traffic accidents as well as brain hemorrhage etc., who can be potential donors for eyes, kidneys, lungs, heart, liver, etc. “Families of such persons can donate organs and tissues for saving lives of the end-stage organ failure persons, who otherwise are going to die,” she said.
Sharma added that the organs and tissues, other than eyes and kidneys, not utilized by the institution shall be transported to other hospitals by creating green corridors.
She added that multiple meetings were organized with stakeholder departments viz. Local Police, Traffic Police, Airport Authority, and Airport Security for the creation of a green corridor for transporting organs from GMC Jammu to other hospitals within and outside J&K.
“Soon GMC shall conduct a mock exercise for the transport of organs between GMC and the Airport,” she said.
