Topic Of The Day:-“Heart transplants”
Cardiac and lung transplantation have been the last to develop in India. Until five years ago, results of heart and lung transplantation were dismal in India. Many doctors would have been reticent to put their patients forward for transplantation even if they would have benefitted from the treatment. However, over the last two-three years, results have improved significantly with the influx of talented and trained surgeons. But the number of patients being assessed and listed are still fewer in comparison to those listed for livers or kidneys. Waiting lists for heart transplantation are still small, and in such a situation while a donor liver or kidney can be immediately matched to a suitable Indian patient, this is not always possible for a heart or lungs.
This is where the claim for utilising the organ for a foreign patient comes in as otherwise the organ would be wasted. Even though occasional abuse of the system may be a possibility, it is important to point out that even with the current practice of allocating an organ to a foreigner when there is no suitable Indian patient, one-third of all hearts and lungs are still not being used due to “lack of a suitable recipient”. As public and physician confidence in the success of heart and lung transplantation improves in India, the waiting list of Indian patients will increase and it will be possible to match every organ to a suitable Indian patient. Once that stage is reached, there will not be even a remote possibility of a foreigner getting an organ.
An additional issue with heart and lung transplantation is the strict criteria for size and quality and the very tight timeframes within which these organs should be transplanted. While a kidney can be preserved for 12-18 hours and a liver for 8-12 hours, hearts and lungs should be transplanted within six hours, otherwise outcomes are likely to be poor. So while sharing of livers and kidneys across the country is possible, it is very difficult as far as hearts and lungs are concerned, considering the size of our country. In the absence of a viable and accessible air ambulance service to transport organs, feasibility will depend on the timing of the donation and the flight schedules of commercial airlines. Remember, most organ donation procedures happen in the night as logisticspermit. So, at least for hearts and lungs, exceptions notwithstanding, sharing is feasible only by adjacent States.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Dismal
Meaning: Causing a mood of gloom or depression.
Example: “The dismal weather made the late afternoon seem like evening”
Synonyms: Dingy, Dim
Antonyms: Bright, Cheerful
2) Influx
Meaning: An arrival or entry of large numbers of people or things.
Example: “A massive influx of tourists”
Synonyms: Inundation, Inrush
3) Abuse
Meaning: Use (something) to bad effect or for a bad purpose; misuse.
Example: “The judge abused his power by imposing the fines”
Synonyms: Misuse, Misapply
4) Logistics
Meaning: The detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation.
Example: “The logistics of a large-scale rock show demand certain necessities”
Synonyms: Organisation, Planning
5) Feasible
Meaning: Possible and practical to do easily or conveniently.
Example: “The Dutch have demonstrated that it is perfectly feasible to live below sea level”
Synonyms: Practicable, Workable
Antonyms: Impracticable, Impossible
