New Delhi: In a Shocking Report, Delhi saw a drop of more than 50% in organ donations from brain-dead patients in 2018. Leave alone Maharashtra (132), Tamil Nadu (137), Telangana (167), and Andhra Pradesh (45), the national capital lags far behind even the neighbouring Union Territory of Chandigarh (35).
The ever increasing number of brain dead in the capital in road accidents is also on the rise. Delhi reports around 1562 road accident deaths each year, and a significant number of the victims have extensive head injuries leading to clinical brain death. It is accepted worldwide that these unfortunate individuals are potential organ donors. India has one of the lowest organ donation rates in the world at 0.5 donors per million population and every bit to spread awareness be it among schoolchildren, corporate or celebrities- helps.
Despite major advances in healthcare and medical facilities in India, more than 5 lakh people die every year due to unavailability of organs. For patients whose last chance of survival is a transplant, the acute shortage of donors in the country is proving to be a painful reality.
The Heart and Lung Transplant Team of Gleneagles Global Hospitals, led by Dr Sandeep Attawar, Director and Chair of the Heart and Lung Program, are credited with 169 transplants in the past 25 months , the strength of this program and what makes it unique is the fact, It is the country’s only comprehensive solid thoracic organ program where the expertise and efficiencies have allowed equally successful heart & lung transplants to be performed in large number with internationally benchmarked outcomes in success and one year survivals, post transplant.
Dr Sandeep Attawar said, “The 85% success rate of the program has been published in ISHLT (The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation), bringing our Heart and Lung transplant program on par with some of the best centers in the western world.”
“In addition to considerable deterioration of health indicators in India due to numerous factors, the incidence of Heart & Lung Failures can be attributed to genetic abnormalities, ischemic heart disease, diabetes (and India is considered as a diabetes capital), smoking habits, pollution, stress, unhealthy eating habits, rise in obesity levels & other lifestyle issues,” said Dr Attawar, who has managed to assimilate. one of the finest teams in South Asia spearheading the Heart & Lung Transplant Program at Gleneagles Global Hospitals across 4 cities.
