PANJIM: Goa Medical College and hospital is the only
facility for kidney transplant in the State but has managed to conduct hardly
14 surgeries in last five years leaving hundreds of patients waiting in a queue
due to absence of private hospitals in the State being licenced to conduct the
organ transplants.
The figures indicate that as many as 1,000 kidney patients
are undergoing dialysis in different hospitals including GMC of whom at least
200 can go for kidney transplant providing permanent solution for their
ailment.
GMC which was permitted to conduct the transplant half a
decade back has performed only 14 such surgeries, while several patients are
forced to go to hospitals in metros like Mumbai, Bangalore and recently in
Belgaum to get the kidney transplanted when they get the family member as a
donor.
The development comes at the backdrop of State government
including organ transplants as the services covered under its ambitious DDSSY
scheme.
Dr Amol Mahaldar, Honorary consultant nephrologist at GMC
told HERALD that for past six months no kidney transplant has been conducted in
GMC due to various reasons including that there is no Head of Department
(Nephrology), who seeks permission from Government for the same.
Dr J P Tiwari, Head of Department (Nephrology) of GMC is
on two-year long leave since last three and half months brining a halt to the
kidney transplant operations. As per information, for conducting kidney
transplant, Head of the Department need to seek permission from Directorate of
Health Service- the appellate authority for granting recognition for conducting
such surgery, followed by permission from State government.
“There are 1,000 kidney patients who are put on dialysis
in different facilities across the State. The rate of survival on dialysis is
poor compared to the kidney transplant. In last five year, GMC has conducted
only 14 transplants,” Dr Mahaldar said.
The chance of living with dialysis over five years is only
30 per cent while with kidney transplant it increases up to 75-80 per cent, he
said adding that out of existing 1,000 patients in the state, at least 200 can
go for the transplant, he explains.
“GMC, which is the only licenced facility has been unable
to make Kidney Transplant a regular scheduled surgery and hence remains
dependent on the visiting honorary surgeons from Mumbai,” Dr Mahaldar stated.
Interestingly, though state-run facility has not
been conducting the transplants, the applications by the private hospitals
including Manipal Hospital is pending with the Directorate of Health Services
for last five months.
Sources at the Manipal confirms that post their
application, the health department had even conducted the inspections to check
the kind of instruments and other facilities available for conducting the same.
Margao based former Apollo Hospital was another hospital,
whose request was never considered.
While director of health services Sanjay Dalvi remained
unavailable for the comments, sources confirm that the file is pending.
