Around 3,720 patients are on the waitlist for organs. This includes 3,325 patients for kidneys alone. As per the data, so far, 22 cadaver donations have taken place in Mumbai from January to August in which 61 organs have been retrieved and transplanted. There has been an increase in organ donation, claim Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC) officials. However, people are still hesitant about contracting infection.
Going by the ZTCC data, from January to August 12, they transplanted 32 kidneys, 20 livers, five hearts, three lungs and one arm. Despite the second wave of Covid-19, the number of donations in the state remained the same. However, 3720 patients are still on the waitlist.
Dr SK Mathur, chairman, ZTCC, believes the situation has improved. People are coming forward for organ donation. Maharashtra has been ahead of Tamil Nadu since 2019. In 2021, Mumbai recorded the highest number of donations and transplants in the state. “There is a need to spread awareness about organ donation. This gesture can save the lives of many patients who are on the waitlist,” he said.
Meanwhile, skin donation saw a 50 per cent dip during the pandemic. The National Burns Centre (NBC) at Airoli, the country’s premier institute of its kind, is in dire need of the organ used for grafting in burn injury treatment.
As per NBC data, the centre received 174 skin donations between April, 2019, and March, 2020. The figures fell to 69 between April 2020 and March 2021. “Since April, 2021, we have had just 46 skin donations,” said Dr Sunil Keswani, medical director, NBC.
