The Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka (ZCCK) has not cleared a single case for cadaver organ transplant since its formation in February 2005. The 80 potential recipients of liver, heart and kidney registered on the transplantation list in Karnataka are still waiting.

Only 43 cadaver transplants have taken place in the state since 1995 according to Mohan Foundation a non-governmental organization which has coordinated less than 314 cadavers in Tamil Nadu in 2000.

According to Jency Antony, transplant coordinator, ZCCK, there are several early take off problems for the Committee. It has taken two years to frame the guidelines and overcome the infrastructure problems to become fully functional by February 2007. In order to gain control over the situation of transplant, there are many challenges.

While ZCCK has received registrations from 74 kidney, 3 heart and three liver patients for transplant, the number of cadaver transplants undertaken in the state since 1995 to date are kidney (40), heart (1) and liver (2).

There have been two cases of brain death reported in the past one year. Many doctors are reluctant as there is a misconception among the patients relatives that the doctors did not do enough to save the patients and is more interested in retrieving the organs for transplantation to save another life, stated Dr. Sudarshan Ballal, director, Manipal Institute of Nephrology , head, paediatric surgery at Narayana Hrudayalaya.

Another surgeon on condition of anonymity stated that a few years ago when police officials were called in to complete the post mortem proceedings they refused to clear it because they saw the ECG ticking. They were not aware that even after brain death the heart would take sometime to stop. Therefore there is a serious lack of understanding and awareness.

The state needs an organized cadaver programme, stated Prof. D Nagaraja, director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences.

Factors contributing to poor response are that the concept of cadaver transplantations is embedded with serious restrictions. Every single brain dead victim is not an ideal source for organs like liver, kidney and heart.

In order to promote the programme, ZCCK has proposed to the state health department that permits may be issued to doctors to identify brain deaths and ask the licensed hospitals to appoint trained consultants.

The committee also plans to launch the programmes to take on the biggest challenges of educating people on the brain death reporting and the need to donate organs for transplant.