Families of organ donors, doctors honoured by Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu
Doctors who have contributed towards organ donation in the State were also awarded.
Health Minister Ma Subramanian honoured the families of deceased organ donors on Organ Donation Day (X/@Subramanian_ma)
CHENNAI: Health Minister Ma Subramanian honoured the families of deceased organ donors on Organ Donation Day, at an event organised by the Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu.
Doctors who have contributed towards organ donation in the State were also awarded.
Releasing an awareness booklet on organ donation titled ‘Maruppiravi’, Subramanian recalled, “Tamil Nadu has been promoting organ donation since 2008 after the family of Hithendran volunteered to donate his organs after a road accident.”
The State has received organs from 1,998 donors since the launch of the programme in September 2008, with 7,207 organs utilised until now.
Since the commencement of the programme, 3,544 kidneys, 1,794 livers, 912 lungs, 892 hearts, 42 pancreases, 15 small intestines, one stomach and seven hands have also been transplanted in TN.
After the announcement of State honours for organ donors last year, 272 donors have donated organs, 1,461 organs have been obtained and 14,300 people have pledged online for organ donation in the last year alone.
“Even Andhra and Odisha have expressed interest in implementing a similar scheme,” stated the Minister.
“The Chief Minister’s health insurance scheme covers upto Rs 22 lakh for liver transplants, Rs 4 lakh for kidney transplant and upto Rs 18 lakh for heart transplant. The number of people awaiting transplants – 7,106 people need kidneys, 416 wait for a liver, 73 for a heart, 54 need lungs, 24 await a heart and lungs, and 7,797 for other organs.”
