The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Organ donation: Hegde for more patient and donor-friendly laws

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Friday, Mar 14, 2008
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Organ donation: Hegde for more patient and donor-friendly laws

Special Correspondent

Existing laws are archaic, says Lokayukta

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Determined soul: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde felicitating Rose Mary who has undergone dialysis a thousand times, in Bangalore on Thursday.

BANGALORE: Lokayukta N. Santosh Hegde on Thursday made out a strong case for encouraging all kinds of kidney donation — related, unrelated and cadaver — and said the Government should establish a kidney bank for the benefit of renal patients.

Participating in the World Kidney Day organised by the Bangalore Kidney Foundation (BKF) here, Mr. Sasntosh Hegde said in his view commercial donation of kidney was neither immoral nor unethical.

Terming the existing law on organ donation as “archaic,” Mr. Hegde, a former Supreme Court judge, said the Government should come out with more patient and donor-friendly laws.

“If you have regulations, there will be violations, illegal activities and black market,” he observed.

To help the renal patients, the Government should establish a kidney bank.

The Government itself should collect money from patients and pay it to the donors, and thus eliminate middlemen and unethical medical practices. “But, the Government is no better than middlemen,” he caustically remarked.

Mr. Hegde said there was need for launching a massive movement, with the support of religious leaders, to promote cadaver organ transplantation.

The Government should come out with a law making it mandatory for all those who undergo treatment at hospitals to sign an undertaking that they would donate their organs after their death, he said.

BKF chairman Sriram said the foundation would conduct cost-effective renal screening for 25,000 people in Basavanagudi, Shankarapuram, Thygarajanagar, Chamarajpet and surrounding areas at Rangadore Memorial Hospital, a joint initiative of BKF and Sri Sringeri Sharada Peetam.

Chairman and managing director of Confident Group Roy C.J. was honoured on the occasion for sponsoring 100 free dialysis every month for the next one year.

Various other companies and organisations also announced that they would sponsor free dialysis.

Mr. Hegde felicitated Rose Mary (43), who has undergone dialysis a thousand times in the past eight years and has been encouraging other patients to undergo the treatment.

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