Karnataka Lokayukta justice Santhosh Hegde said here in Bangalore on Thursday that he would submit a report to Justice V S Mallimath, chairman of Karnataka Law Commission on the need to work on legal reforms to facilitate and promote more human organ transplants in the state.
Hegde added that there is a need to bring in laws to encourage organ transplants. They should not be punitive in nature. He cited the case of Tamil Nadu which has brought in some changes to the laws that regulate organ transplants. Many hospitals in Karnataka cannot certify if a patient is brain dead. Even if the donors are ready, the doctors and hospitals are not ready to save the organs in time.
There are very few hospitals and doctors where a person can be brought in as brain dead and the organs harvested. One person can help save seven lives, said a doctor. More hospitals and doctors must be empowered to certify patients as brain dead to facilitate organ transplants. Karnataka has no laws to regulate transplants.
There are 150,000 people waiting for kidney transplants in the country today. But, only 5,000 have been done.
Among other countries, for instance, in the US, depending on the financial capability of a donor, the family of the donor my be given $10,000. Members of the donor family gets other incentives like preference in jobs.
“Large-scale transplants will be possible only if the religious leaders may be roped in to change donor attitude. then people will be more open to donating organs of their brain-dead relatives,” said Justice Santhosh Hegde in Bangalore on Thursday.
