More infrastructure to use available cadavers, extensive research needed to save lives

Cadaver is but one of the options to save precious human lives but this should not be the priority. The need of the hour is to promote extensive research to ‘regenerate organs’ and to launch preventive programmes to improve the overall health and well being of the people, he opines.

“We need to develop a dedicated ventilator based support service to preserve the vital organs of the brain dead people so that their organs could be utilised to save many lives. This is one side of the coin. On the other, we should focus our attention on reducing accidents so that road mishaps don’t claim lives and simultaneously take up appropriate programmes to strengthen our organs,” says Dr Soundararajan, Consultant Nephrologist, Sri Ramachandra Medical College,

Chennai.

Speaking to this correspondent on organ donation and the much debatable ethics of harvesting organs of brain dead persons, he said the aim should not be to create a ventilator support anticipating to harvest the organs of brain dead persons but infrastructure should be stepped up to ensure ventilator support for meaningful use of the organs.

“Research like using stem cells, for instance, could be promoted for inducing tolerance. Stem cells, however, is not a successful solution for those with renal problems,” he says.