Liver transplantation: Lack of awareness and affordability a major concern
By Gillian
Mumbai: Liver transplantation: Lack of awareness and affordability a major concern: Of all the organ donations, a donor for liver is the most difficult to find.
Surgeon Dr Mohammed Rela who has operated over 1300 liver transplants said: “Liver transplantation is coming up in a major way. Last year, 58 liver transplantations were conducted, almost half the total transplantations in India.”
However, lack of awareness and affordability is a major concern for liver transplant. There are very few cadaver donors in India.
In the UK, 12 out of every 1 million persons donate. In India, less than 0.1% of the population participates in cadaver donation.
Also, liver transplant surgery is an expensive affair. It costs around Rs 17-18 lakh. The procedure is also lengthy and it runs into at least 12 hours. Medication is equally expensive.
