Tamil Nadu bags best state award for organ donation

Chennai: Leading as the top organ donation state in the country, Tamil Nadu has bagged the best-performing state award in organ donation with 1,705 people donating their organs to save 6,247 human lives. 

State Health Minister Ma Subramanian claimed increased awareness and transparent organ allocation policy were among the factors that made Tamil Nadu win the best-performing state award for organ donation at the national level on Thursday.

Since 2008, 1,705 people donated their organs facilitating 786 hearts, 801 lungs, 1,565 liver and 3,046 kidney transplants, 37 pancreases, besides small intestines, and other organs, totally benefitting 6,247 recipients so far, Subramanian said after receiving the award along with Health Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi, from Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Delhi. 

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The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) award was presented at the 13th Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) ceremony meant to facilitate the donor families, in the national capital.

"Much of the success of organ donation is due to the high awareness levels in the state. Even our Chief Minister M K Stalin and his wife have pledged to donate their organs," the Health Minister told reporters.

About 40 government hospitals and 120 private hospitals across the state have been provided organ harvest licenses. Transplants were performed even under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, he said.

In the last two years, 292 people donated their organs to benefit 1,062 people, Subramanian said.

At the function, the Union Minister lauded the families of organ donors and the members of civil society. 

Meanwhile, in a webinar on deceased donor organ transplantation organized by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) along with the Madras Medical College on Tuesday, Subramanian announced that doctors serving in government medical colleges will be awarded for their good work in organ transplantation every year.

There was discussion about brain death, the maintenance of brain-dead patients on life support medications and machines, the process of brain death certification, and the organ retrieval programme that was attended by doctors from all over South India. 

Talking about this, Subramanian informed TOI, “The state now has 13 transplant hospitals and 26 organ retrieval centers. We are beginning to see more brain death registrations and donations after this,” Subramanian said.

“Doctors from hospitals that make judicious use of precious organs will receive awards from the chief minister during Independence Day celebrations every year. We have done this to encourage doctors and their teams,” he said.

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