✍️By Special Correspondent
World Organ donation day is celebrated on 13th of Agust every year to spread awareness and encourage people to come forward and pledge for organ donation “The best gift to anyone is the gift of life”. As a healthcare services provider, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah (NSH) took this initiative on the occasion to commemorate and create awareness among the masses. NSH, Howrah invited its heart transplant recipients on the occasion to felicitate and celebrate their life post successful transplant. The poignant stories of heart recipients Ahasana Khatun and Ajaz Ahmed are the examples. After undergoing heart transplant surgery at NSH, Howrah their lives are now filled with joy. Similarly, Jaiprakash Mahato and Harun Rashid also got new lives with donated kidneys at NSH, Horwah. There are many other patients who have experienced almost near-death-experience and donated organs helped their lives. Raising this widespread concern recently on World Organ Donation Day NSH, Howrah organised a Pledge Session for ‘Organ Donation’. A programme which was aimed at motivating people to donate their organs with an intent to save lives. Dr. Arpita Ray Chaudhury, Joint Director, ROTTO, HOD, Nephrology, IPGMER, Kolkata, SSKM Hospital graced the event with her presence and Dr. Debasis Das Sr. Consultant Cardiac Surgery, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah shared the concern over rising gap between donors and recipients. The occasion was also marked with the publishing of “Heart Transplant Protocol” of NSH, Howrah.
Dr. Debasis Das Sr. Consultant Cardiac Surgery, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah said “It’s not hard to imagine the despair the families fall in when they don’t find any suitable donor and lose their loved ones in front of their eyes. As per the statistics every year around 50000 patients suffer from heart failure, undoubtedly many of them may urgently require heart transplant procedure. We as doctors can only perform the procedure, but right people should come forward to join hand with us in this cause. We sincerely need to look at the gap we are facing and losing lives which can be saved.”
A study confirms India has performed the second largest number of transplants in the world in 2019 after US, but the huge gap between donor and recipient is a major concern. Due to lack of affordable, implantable ventricular assist devices, mortality due to huge waiting list of heart transplant recipient is very high. Paediatric donations are uncommon. Organ transport is a very big challenge, both within the city and country.
Dr. Bismay Kumar, Consultant Nephrologist, Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Howrah said, “talking about kidney failure only transplantation procedure has ability to give normal life even after dialysis, it should be opted as per doctors’ suggestion, but lack of donor’s availability causes hindrances. A study confirms around 1.8 lakh patients suffering from renal failure every year, but only around 6000 renal transplants are done. Despite the fact that we perform second largest number of transplants, this huge gap between donor and recipients is a major concern. More awareness should be spread to encourage this life saving cause.”
A person can donate one out of his two kidneys while living and lead a healthy normal life, same way a part of liver can be donated by a living person. Organs like lungs and heart are donated by a deceased donor. The network of matching donors should be strengthened further, and more people should participate.
While expressing the emotional turmoil she went through, Ahasana Khatun who has now completed one year after her heart transplant, said, “It all started with the repeated episodes of shortness of breath and all of a sudden I had no hope to live. I am so thankful the departed pure soul for filling me with life with heart. I cannot be thankful enough to the Doctors and staff at NSH, Howrah who made it possible. It’s only because of a “donated organ” that you all can see me here today. People like me are the living example of the potential of organ transplant. It should be encouraged as much as possible.”
Mr. Prateek Jain, Facility Director, Narayana Health, Howrah said, “Our doctors have rightly mentioned how availability of right donor affects a patient’s life, we should pledge to donate our organs and be a cause to someone’s life. The successful transplant procedures performed at Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Kolkata are guiding lights for the people to consider this idea. Also, the advanced treatment and the team of experienced skilled doctors at NSH, Howrah is always ready to help their patients.”