Narayana Health City creates awareness on organ donation and transplants to
mark ‘World Organ Donation Day’
Bangalore, August 12, 2015: A team of doctors comprising pediatric liver transplant, heart transplant
and renal transplant from Narayana Health City Bangalore came together to spread awareness on the
importance of organ donation and organ transplants on the occasion of World organ donation day
observed on 13th August 2015. Along with them were transplant survivors who have undergone heart,
liver and kidney transplants at Narayana Health City.
The first organ transplant at the hospital was in 2005, which was a pediatric liver transplant. Of all the
surgeries that are done on children, liver transplant is perhaps the most difficult. According to Dr.
Sanjay Rao, Consultant Pediatric Surgeon at Narayana Health City, “Children form a very special group
in liver transplantation. Every function in the body is affected when a child has liver disease and the
blood doesn’t clot. Post operative care is a major challenge”. The liver is a unique organ as it has the
capacity to regenerate. This does not exist for any other solid organ donation. Speaking about donors
Dr. Sanjay said, “Cadaveric donations are few, a live donor is therefore the option from the immediate
family members and the liver has to be cut down to size, which is also very complex.” The liver grows
with the child. For a live donor the liver grows back in a matter of 6 to 8 weeks.
Dr. Sanjay Rao and Dr. Ashley D’cruz, Pediatric Surgeons at Narayana Health City have performed 58
pediatric liver transplants till date, which includes 4 cadaveric liver transplants. “We are the only hospital
in India to have a dedicated pediatric liver transplant program”, informed Dr. Sanjay Rao. “More than
half the children who undergo liver transplantation have congenital biliary atresia”, he said.
Recently, in the span of two weeks Narayana Health City performed 4 heart transplants and has seen an
increase in the number of cadaveric organ donation. Time is very crucial in heart transplants and the
Bangalore City traffic police gave their full support in arranging a green corridor to transport the organs
of the brain dead donor to the recipients admitted in various hospitals. The first heart transplant at
Narayana Health City, Bangalore was performed in 2009 and the team of cardiac surgeons comprising
Dr. Julius Punnen and Dr. P V Rao has performed 12 heart transplants till date.
Speaking about the process to register for organ donation or pledge their organs, Dr. Bagirath
Raghuraman, Consultant Cardiologist and Transplant Coordinator at Narayana Health City explained
that there is a form every potential donor fills out, which includes the number of people whom the
Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka for Organ Transplants (ZCCK) can contact and the person
responsible who will inform ZCCK on the demise of the potential donor. One has an option of donating
all organs or make a choice of donating only certain organs, which is the donor’s prerogative.
One cadaveric donor can donate eyes, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, skin, bone, intestine and
hair as well. Many people can benefit by a cadaveric donation. In case of live donor, only one organ can
be donated but it is still beneficial. However, cadaveric donation is much more beneficial to more
number of people. Cadaveric donation will allow much more transplants.
The first kidney transplant at Narayana Health City was done in 2008. The hospital has performed 206
kidney transplants till date and six cadaveric kidney transplants, in which the number of women donors
is more among living donors for kidney transplant. 2013-14 has seen an increase in the number of organ
donors, because of cadaveric transplant and organ retrievals are much more observed Dr. Lloyd
Vincent, HoD and Consultant Nephrologist at Narayana Health City. Speaking about donor criteria, Dr.
Vincent said, “A living donor should be fit and healthy to donate a kidney, so that he or she can lead a
normal life even after donating a kidney. In cadaveric organ donation both the kidneys are available and
if kidney function is good, the kidney can go to two different people”.
According to Mr. Joseph Pasangha, Facility Director, Narayana Health City, Bangalore, “the awareness
about organ donation is increasing and we have seen more number of people donating their organs”. He
further added, “Our hospital is the recognized centre for organ transplants and we perform heart, kidney
and liver transplants at Narayana Health City. This needs a dedicated transplant team of surgeons and
coordinators with exclusive post-operative facilities and stand alone ICU for transplant patients, which is
there at Narayana Health City.”
There are myths and there is lack of awareness among people about organ donation, because of which a
whole segment of population does not donate. Infrastructure has now improved and there is dramatic
improvement in organ donation compared to last year. Hospitals are noticing a dramatic change in
organ availability.
About Narayana Health:
With all super-speciality tertiary care facilities that the medical world offers, Narayana Health is now a one-stop
healthcare destination for all.
From a humble beginning of a 225 bed hospital in 2000, Narayana Health group of hospitals has grown to become
a 6655 beds healthcare conglomerate with 32 hospitals across 20 cities including Health City Cayman Islands in
Grand Cayman (North America).Visit www.narayanahealth.org
About Narayana Health City, Bangalore:
NH Health City in Bangalore spreads across 26 acres, where the headquarters of Narayana Health is situated with two other
hospitals known for their exceptional quality of care and research oriented work. Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences is one
of the world’s largest heart hospital with the largest paediatric cardiac ICU. It performs the largest number of paediatric cardiac
surgeries in the world.
Narayana Health established the Oncology segment in association with Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Center in 2009. The centre has
one of India’s largest Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. It is situated in Mazumdar Shaw Medical Center at NH Health City, which
houses the multi-speciality wing with 1400 beds. Apart from advanced therapeutics in cancer care and research, the multispeciality hospital at NH Health City is the recognized centre for organ transplants. The hospital performs the largest number of
paediatric liver transplants in India and is the preferred destination for kidney transplants for patients from India and overseas.
For further information & media queries, please contact:
D K VENKATESH
Corporate Communications
Narayana Health, Bangalore
Phone: +919538172449
Email: media@nhhospitals.org; venkatesh.dk@nhhospitas.org