JJ Hospital’s nephrology department lacks DMs

JJ Hospital, the biggest government hospital of Maharashtra receives hundreds of patients with kidney ailments every year, but so far not a single cadaver kidney (where the donor is a dead person) transplant has been performed in the hospital. Reason: The family members of the deceased refuse to donate the organs. “Most of the patients who come for treatment at the hospital are from poor economic background. They lack awareness about organ donation so they refuse to donate the kidneys of the deceased for transplantation,” said Dr T.P. Lahale, dean of the JJ Hospital. Every day, at least 10 people die in the hospital, many of who are brain dead patients whose organs could be used for transplantation.

However, the hospital performs live kidney (where donor is a living person) transplant every month. As per Dr Lahane, every Monday the hospital performs live kidney transplant. “At least thrice a month, we perform kidney transplant,” he said.

“As per my knowledge, not a single cadaver kidney transplantation has been performed in the hospital. And we don’t have the data of live transplantation so can’t comment on it,” said Dr Sujata Patwardhan, chairperson, Zonal Transplant Coordination Center.

However, in reply to an RTI filed by a doctor, the hospital replied saying that as the nephrology department doesn’t have a doctorate of medicine (DM) course in nephrology, they don’t do transplantation on a regular basis.

However, Dr Lahale stated that there are two DM permanent doctors who are working in the department. “We also have two temporary doctors,” he said. But when The Asian Age visited the nephrology department, a few post graduation students complained that no DM nephrologist worked in the department. “I don’t know about the number of patients requiring kidney transplant in the hospital as I came a few months ago,” said a doctor practicing at the nephrology department.