Cadaver organ transplants go up in Maharashtra

Mumbai: The cadaver organ transplants in Maharashtra have increased in 2016-17 as compared to the previous year, according to the latest Economic Survey.

The kidney transplants increased to 169 in 2016-17 as compared to 97 in 2015-16. Besides, there were 108 liver transplants in 2017 as compared to 41 in 2015-16.

There were 30 heart transplants in 2016-17 as compared to five in the previous year.

As per the Economic Survey 2016-17, there was one lung transplant this year while in 2015-16 there was not a single case of lung transplant.

However, the keratoplasty surgeries decreased this year to 2,249 as compared to 3,230 in the previous year.

Keratoplasty is the surgery of the cornea (transparent layer forming the front of the eye) in which the graft is taken from a recently dead individual with no known diseases or other factors that may affect the chance of survival of the donated tissue or the health of the recipient.

As per the economic survey report, 509 live kidney transplants were performed this year as compared to 692 in the previous year.

Besides, there were 87 live liver transplants this year as compared to 118 in the previous year.

The Centre had enacted the Transplantation of Human Organs Act in 1994 to regulate removal, storage and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes.

The Act also aims at preventing commercial dealings in human organs.

There are 128 centres registered in the state for single organ transplant, 26 for multiple organ transplants and 269 for eye donation and keratoplasty, the report said.

The 269 eye donation centres also serve as eye banks in the state.