Chennai: The organ contribution fell firmly in Tamil Nadu for the past four years and deteriorated during a pandemic, but the state continued to use the best organs that had been accepted as a donation, said the state health secretary J Radhakrishnan at a function held by the honorary family donor and medical team involved in transplant operations.
The Minister of Health MA Subramanian gave awards to senior transplant surgeons, nurses and counselors in government and private hospitals.
Of the approximately 185 donations in 2016, the number of donations fell to 127 in 2019 and 55 by 2020, according to data published by Transtan, the state registry with hospitals and registration throughout the state.
“In the past five years, there has been an increase in the number of humans, lungs and pancreas used.
In case of the liver cannot be used, doctors harvest valves,” said the Director of Medical Services Dr S Gurunathan.
For example, data from the Mohan Foundation (sourced from the Tamil Nadu organ sharing network) shows that the state has received at least 22 donations this year.
It also accepts organs from other countries.
The state has used 19 hearts, more than 26 lungs, 22 liver and 38 kidneys.
“There is no other country that utilizes so many organs,” he said.
Transplants are made free of charge under a comprehensive CM health insurance scheme in the government and private hospitals.