Maha may make pvt hospitals medically assist kin of donors

Mumbai, Aug 18 (PTI) In a bid to promote organ donation,the Maharashtra government is considering to formulate a lawwhich would make it mandatory for private hospitals to providelifetime medical assistance to the donar’s family. State Ministers Deepak Sawant and Girish Mahajan wereaddressing reporters here today after inaugurating the website’http://www.dmer.org/new/organ.htm’ which allows people topledge organ donation online. "Private hospitals gets ranking based on the organdonations they receive and the number of organ transplantsthey undertake. Though at the nascent stage, we areconsidering to formulate a law that would make it compulsoryfor private hospitals, where a person has donated his organ,to provide lifetime medical assistance to the donor’sdependents," said Sawant, who holds the Health portfolio. According to the senior Shiv Sena Minister, this mayboost people’s morale for donating their organs. Meanwhile, Mahajan, who holds Medical Education portfolio,announced the state government’s initiative to conduct a 3-dayorgan donation campaign from August 30, where people, up tothe tehsil level, will be taught the benefits of donatingtheir organs. Mahajan said after the Human Organ Transplant Act, 1994came into effect, 11,364 kidney transplants, 468 livertransplants, 19 heart transplants, 3 lung transplants and 479cornea transplants have taken place till date. He also said presently across the nation, around 5 lakhpeople suffering from kidney ailments, 50,000 people sufferingfrom liver ailments and 2,000 people suffering from seriousheart ailments are waiting for a donor to undergo an organtransplant. The website has been developed with the help of the TataTrusts, Mahajan said. PTI MM NRBMRJRDS