In an effort to promote organ donations, the Maharashtra government has taken several measures to strengthen the health network and increase the number of possible donors, a top official said Monday.
The state government issued a government resolution (GR) that says it is mandatory for hospitals to inform about their 'brain dead' patients to organ transplant centres through Divisional Transplant Co-ordination Committees, said the health department official said on the condition of anonymity.
"There is already a provision to this in the Transplantation of Human Organ Act, 1994, along with a punishment of three years' imprisonment to those who violate it," the official said of the GR which was released two days ago.
Due to the punitive clause and lack of other legal safeguards, the efforts for voluntary organ donations and transplants have not increased as desired.
With the release of government resolution, the state government has accorded "a legal backing" to the medical fraternity, making it necessary for them to inform the authorities of all-brain dead patients, the official stated.
Apart from that, organ harvesting facilities will now be made more common and available in all hospitals with a minimum of 25 beds with operation theatre and intensive care facilities.
The government official said that the actual organ transplant surgeries will continue to be conducted only at registered transplant centres.
In a bid to increase the number of organ donors, the state government will soon offer a separate column in college admission forms asking for voluntary organ donation.
If the students agree, it will be noted in their identity cards and on their driving licenses.
"We are currently coordinating with various Regional Transport Offices, the authority which issues driving licences to streamline this procedure," the official has been quoted as saying.
He said that these measures require public participation to become a success. Without public participation these measures would not yield the desired results and patients in need of vital organ transplants would continue to suffer or perish.
These measures have been taken after the state was shocked with the death of former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh Aug 14 as he waited for an organ transplant.
--with inputs from IANS
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