SKIMS plans roadmap for organ donations to save lives

Srinagar Aug 03: Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, the largest tertiary care institute in Srinagar has performed 700 kidney transplants since 1999 and has planned a roadmap for organ donations, officials said.
Dr Arif Hamid, Professor and Head, Urology and Kidney Transplant, SKIMS Soura said the kidney transplant facility was started in the institute in 1999 and till date it has conducted more than 700 kidney transplants.
“Over the past ten years, we have been doing kidney transplants very smoothly. There are many people who suffer from end stage diseases and they need organs to survive,” he said.
As per officials till date, the largest tertiary care institute performed only kidney transplants and now it has planned a road map for organ donations which is going to be a major boost to save the lives of patients.
“We also want people to be informed about organ donation and so that we will be able to do more and more organ transplants. The availability of organs is low. In order to bridge that gap the Government of India is working on it and people need to be informed,” Dr Arif said.
He said it is need of the hour to spread awareness about organ donation and religious leaders including those of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians can play a vital role.
As per doctors valley has seen rise in kidney failures among young with diabetes, hypertension and drug abuse main reasons for kidney failures.
On Saturday SKIMS organized an Organ Donation Program which was attended by the organizing committee SKIMS headed by its Director, religious leaders and others.
Officials said SKIMS is a major contributor to the organ transplant program of the country filling a major gap as one lakh eighty thousand kidney failure patients need kidney transplant in India in a year and only 6000 kidney transplants are done.
The health department is spreading awareness on organ donation and encouraging people to take pledge for donating organs. Many programs have been held in this regard.
State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) Jammu and Kashmir is a State level Organization setup under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India to create awareness on organ donations. It has been conducting programs in medical colleges and other places to educate people about the importance of organ donations.
As per the studies, renal failure is a growing cause of premature death in India.
“Poorly treated diabetes is the most probable reason for this increase. Strategies aimed at diabetes prevention, and early detection and treatment are urgently needed in India, as well as greater access to renal replacement therapy,” said a study.