Over 3,000 patients waiting for donor organs: Harish Rao

Harish Rao also gave away appreciation certificates to family members who donated the organs of the near and dear ones.

Hyderabad: Measures taken in the last six months would play an important role in reducing the waiting time for cadaver organs among needy patients in Telangana, Health Minister, T Harish Rao said here on Sunday.

Participating in an organ donation awareness campaign and felicitation of families of brain dead victims who donated the organs of the deceased under Jeevandan initiative, organised by Jayachandra Reddy Charitable Trust at LB Nagar, Harish Rao acknowledged that there was an urgent need to reduce the waiting time for donor organs.

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“Today, there are over 3,000 needy patients in Telangana waiting for donor organs to survive. However, there are not many cadaver organ donors. The Telangana government has launched several measures to make donor organs available. However, it will succeed only if families are willing to donate organs of brain dead victims,” he said.

Government hospitals have started taking up a large number of organ transplant surgeries in Telangana. A total of 433 organ transplants have been taken up in government hospitals out of which 351 were from NIMS, 71 from OGH and 11 from Gandhi Hospital. Aarogyasri insurance scheme is providing Rs 10 lakh coverage for patients needing organ transplants, he said.

“We are encouraging teaching hospitals in districts to take up brain dead declaration in a big way. Teaching hospitals and Area Hospitals in districts are establishing exclusive brain dead declaration committee to take up brain declaration,” he said.

Harish Rao also gave away appreciation certificates to family members who donated the organs of the near and dear ones. LB Nagar MLA, Sudhir Reddy, Chairman, TSMSIDC, E Srinivas, in-charge Jeevandan, Dr Swarnalatha and senior health officials were present.