Private hospitals urge government committee to clear donors

Nagpur: In the wake of the recent controversy at a hospital in Mumbai where both donor and recipients forged documents, the five private hospitals in Nagpur and Wardha have decided to refer all the cases to the government authorization committee (GAC).
The five hospitals, in a letter written to the appropriate authority — HOTA 1994 — urged it to clear the donors.The letter was signed by Dr Usha Nair, director Orange City Hospital and Research Institute (OCHRI), Dr Dipak Deshmukh, of SureTech Hospital, Ravi Manndiyar from Care Hospital, K Sujatha from Wockhardt Hospital and Dr Aditya Mukhopadhyay from Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sawangi, Wardha. A copy was given to the directorate of health services, Mumbai, deputy director of health services and dean of GMCH.
The private hospitals had said that no longer the hospital authorization committee (HACs) will clear voluntary donors. It can be mentioned here that the HACs are approved by the government.
Dr Anup Marar, medical director of OCHRI, said, “This step has been taken in the background of news and allegations floating regarding involvement of private hospitals in organ trading.”
This year, Mohril couple from the city had created history. Dr Kishor Moharil, who donated his kidney to an unrelated patient earlier, following the footsteps his wife Dr Lata Moharil donated it this year. Doctors claim that Moharils are the only couple to have donated kidneys to unrelated patients.
Mohan Foundation has been a source of inspiration for the Moharils and even Sulabha Chakravarty (52) who took the pledge to donate organs to the foundation on Thursday. “As my birthday falls on August 15, this year I wanted to make it different by saving the life of a needy person. Taking this pledge is like a gesture towards it,” said Chakravarty.
On Saturday, the foundation along with the Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC), Nagpur, NSS units colleges under Nagpur University (NU) and Matru Sewa Sang Institute of Social Work, will jointly organize a rally to mark Organ Donation Day.
The rally will be flagged of from the MSS, Bajaj Nagar at 9.30am by mayor Pravin Datke. The rally will end at LAD College, Shankar Nagar, where a formal function will be held. The chief guest of the function will be NU vice-chancellor Siddharthavinayaka Kane. The guest of honour will be Juhi Pawar a 23-year-old medical student (originally from Jalgaon) who is the brand ambassador of organ donation of Maharashtra.
NUMBER GAME
18 | Total cadaveric transplant in state
2013 | First transplant conducted
2016 | Last transplant held in city on August 10
350 | No. of transplants through live donation
2,800 | Organ donation pledges taken at Mohan Foundation
1 | Dr Kishor and Dr Lata Moharil are the only couple to have donated kidneys to unrelated patients