MALANKARA ORTHODOX PRIEST ON FAST AGAINST RULE THAT BARS KIDNEY DONATION

MALANKARA ORTHODOX PRIEST ON FAST AGAINST 

RULE THAT BARS KIDNEY DONATION

A Christian Orthodox priest, who was denied permission by a government hospital to donate his kidney to a critically-ill teenage girl on technical grounds, has launched an indefinite fast here seeking permission to carry out the transplant. Hearing the plight of the 16-year-old Jayasree through media reports, Fr Santhosh George of the Malankara Orthodox Church had a few days ago volunteered to donate one of his kidneys to the girl whose both the kidneys had failedJayashree, who is from a poor family here, was advised an emergency surgery by doctors and it was then that her relatives approached a local television channel. On seeing the story on the channel, Fr George came forward with his offer.However, the authorities of Medical College here, where the girl has been undergoing treatment for the past six months,denied permission to donate the vital organ citing a Central Government rule which forbids kidney transplant in government hospitals if the donor is no blood relation of the patient

Fr George, a priest who is now serving in an Orthodox church in Puducherry, said it was 'cruel' to prevent him from  donating the organ as the health condition of the girl is deteriorating fast.'As per the rule, only those having blood relation with the patient could donate kidneys,' he said. But even if the kidney donation is done in a private hospital, a certificate of permission must be obtained from the state government
appointed panel of doctors to monitor kidney donations attached to the respective medical colleges in the regionwhere the surgery would be done, he told 'The rule is actually good as it will help to curb illegal organ trade. But, it will adversely affect the genuine caseslike this,' he said.

When contacted, the hospital authorities said that under the Human Organ Transplantation Act, only father, mother, siblings, children or spouses of a patient are the legal donors. If any of them was not fit, the matter had to be referred to a state level committee.In Jayasree's case, her father's kidney matches that of the patient. However, the patient's relative complained that the man is mentally deranged. The authorities have suggested the family to obtain a certificate from a psychiatrist about the patient's father's mental health condition so that the panel could consider the offer made by the priest.The parents of the girl, who have spent all their meagre means for the treatment of their daughter, could not take her to a private hospital as the operation would cost at least Rs 10 lakh there. However, the same surgery could be performed at a cost of Rs 3.5 lakh at a government hospital, Fr George said.

'All rules should be for the beneficial of people. An amendment in the guidline will benefit a large number of poor patients. My fast is an attempt to open the eyes of authorities,' he said. Former Supreme Court Judge Justice V R Krishna Iyer inaugurated the fast before the Secretariate complex here onWednesday(20-07-2011). Several NGOs and humanrights activists have come out in support to the priest.The Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust at Thonnakkal near here hs agreed to meet the expenses of the transplantation.

                                          Prof. John Kurakar