Status Check, Procedures, Facilities

Organisation : Kerala Network for Organ Sharing (KNOS)
Facility : Download Donor Card

Download Donor Card here : http://knos.org.in/DonorCard.aspx
Website : http://knos.org.in/

Download Donor Card

To download and print DONOR CARD with all your personal details.

Related : IMA Kerala Health Scheme : www.statusin.in/20403.html

Contact us :
Dr.Thomas Mathew,
Principal, State Convenor,
Deceased Donor Organ Transplantation Program, Kerala
+91- 471 -2528386 / +91- 471- 2528658
principalmct[at]gmail.com

Helpline :
Mob : ( Mr.Aneesh PV ) +919048600055
Mob : ( Mr. VinodKumar SL ) +919349157250
Ph.No : 0471-2528658
Ph.No : 0471-2117660

Ethical Issues :
1. Is it possible to jump the waiting list if you are rich, well connected and influential?
No. In India, the allocation of organs to recipients on the waiting list is based on predetermined criteria which include date of registration and medical criteria. The wealth, race, or gender of a person on the waiting list has no effect on when and whether a person will receive a donated organ. The Transplantation of Human Organs Act of 1994 makes it illegal to buy or sell human organs in India.

2. How do we know that the doctor advising the transplant is right?
The conscience, character and competence of a good doctor are sufficient to allow us to discuss and make decisions regarding transplantation. The basic ethical principles commonly followed in medicine are also applied to various aspects of organ donation and transplantation.

These are a few of the main principles all doctors follow:
** The health of a patient is the first consideration
** The transplantation and/or organ donation is done with conscience and dignity
** Considerations of religion, nationality, race, party politics or social standing will not intervene between duty and patient
** To respect patient confidentiality

3. How is a potential recipient identified? If my organs are donated, who decides who receives them?
In Kerala, the Kerala Network for Organ Sharing (KNOS) maintains and operates a state based computerized waiting list of patients with organ failure. The wait list is based various criteria such as time of registration, medical urgency and location.

This system matches each wait-listed patient against a donated organ to see which patient is the best match based on factors such as body size, weight, and blood type of the donor and recipient, how sick the patient is, how long the patient has been waiting for a transplant.

Each private hospital also has its own wait list based on independent hospital criteria and this is added on to the state list. Each transplant centre/ hospital has a turn at the common pool of organs.

Legal Issues :
1. Who certifies that a patient is brain dead?
The Government has specified that a panel of doctors will certify brain death and not a single doctor.
The panel consists of:
1. Doctor in charge of the hospital (medical superintendent)
2. Doctor nominated from a panel of Doctors appointed by the appropriate authority
3. Neurologist/neurosurgeon/intensivist nominated from a panel appointed by the Appropriate authority
4. Doctor treating the patient.

These four doctors carry out the tests together to certify brain death.

2. Who can legally sign a consent form which allows doctors to retrieve a brain dead person’s organs?
A person legally in possession of the deceased person can sign the consent form. This is usually done by a parent, spouse, son/daughter, brother /sister.

3. What are medico legal cases?
When an accident victim is brought to a hospital for emergency treatment, then an FIR has to be filed by the family in the nearest police station. Such cases are usually called medico-legal cases. Any medical treatment (for suicide, assault, poisoning or fall) which needs that the police should be notified becomes a medico-legal case.