Hyderabad: Health minister, T Harish Rao, on Sunday said that the government would start an organ transplantation block in Gandhi Hospital for needful 3000 patients awaiting organ transplantation surgery.
The minister has urged people to come forward for organ donation to facilitate the service.
Speaking at the ‘National Organ Donation Day programme’, organised at Gandhi Hospital, Rao said cooperation from doctors was most needed to make organ donation a success.
He further added that over 3,180 people have applied for organ transplantation in the past but only those who had money could afford transplantation surgery.
Rao stated that with this new initiative, bought into force by the chief minister, K Chandrashekar Rao, the transplantation surgery will be available to the poor sections of society.
Harish Rao has assured people to set up an organ transplant block at the hospital soon with a budget of Rs 35 crore, the tender process for which has been completed and the centre will be operational in the next 5-6 months.
The minister stated that the government is exploring the possibility of providing free admission to children of the deceased in government residential schools and also accord priority in allotting double-bedroom houses.
He suggested the use of helicopters for transporting the organs of the brain dead. “Special attention has been paid to areas where road accidents are more frequent”, said the minister.
At the event, the minister felicitated relatives of brain-dead victims who had opted to donate organs.
“Doctors from general medicine and neurology in district hospitals have to work together so that trauma patients, who are not responding to ICU care, are declared brain dead. Rao said that the tertiary hospitals in Hyderabad and hospitals in districts must coordinate to ensure a constant flow of donor organs.
Harish Rao said that people suffer due to health issues like blood pressure and diabetes owing to a lack of physical activity.
“The government was unable to take up renovation of Osmania Hospital because of a case in the High Court,” added the minister, hoping that the doctors in Osmania Hospital could also conduct organ transplantation with existing infrastructure.
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