by Sophia Golec

Posted on April 2, 2013

Cadaver donations of organs have enjoyed a marked increase in the past year in India, with kidney, liver and lung donations increasing significantly. Cadaver kidney transplants rose from 26 to 49, 6 livers became 19, and 0 lungs donated rose to a total of 2.

In cadaver donation, families of brain-dead patients decide to donate the functionally operational but no longer used organs of the patient to benefit a living patient in need. Controversy may emerge, however, in declaring a patient to be brain-dead. Families are often reluctant to donate organs when some hope of recovery remains.

The death of Vilasrao Deshmukh, former chief minister of Maharashtra, hastened the passing of government resolutions based on the Human Organ Transplantation Act, 1994. Deshmukh’s tragic death inspired policy related to organ transplantation after doctors were unable to secure a suitable liver for transplant.

The government resolutions in question hope to provide the framework necessary to widen cadaver donation. All hospitals must have experts on hand to determine a patient’s brain-dead state, and organ retrieval will be allowed even in non-transplant hospitals.

The rising amount of cadaver donations appears to be indicative of an increasing acceptance of the practice. The donations cannot come too soon, with over 4,000 patients awaiting kidney transplants alone across India.

Indian Express by Stuti Shukla: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cadaver-donations-see-rise-in-state/1095927/