GUWAHATI, March 4 � Despite efforts made to generate awareness on organ donation, the scenario in the country is yet to improve. People are yet to accept the idea of donating organs, even that of a deceased person to save lives of others, Dr Sarbeswar Sahariah, MS, MAMS, FICS, FACS, who has performed more than 3,000 renal transplant operations, said stressing the importance of organ donation after brain death so that precious lives can be saved.
Interacting with media-persons as the �guest of the month� at the Guwahati Press Club here, Dr Sahariah, who has completely devoted his medical career for the development of renal transplantation programme in the country, said that it was the need of the hour to make people aware about organ donation as hundreds of people are waiting for a organ transplant.
�I feel the media can play an active role in creating awareness about organ donation after brain death,� said Dr Sahariah.
On the other hand, Dr Sahariah, who hails from Mangaldoi, observing on the heath scenario, regretted the big disparity between urban and rural medical facilities and pointed out that if such disparity is not done away with, the society will not progress. He said that the authorities should take it as a challenge to cover the rural areas with state-of-the-art medical facilities.
�In the backdrop of India emerging as the hotbed of several lifestyle diseases, it is paramount on the part of the authorities to take preventive measures by bringing together all stake-holders, including the society and medical fraternity,� said Dr Sahariah.
It needs to be mentioned here that Dr Sahariah was associated with the first successful renal transplantation at the PGI, Chandigarh in 1973. Dr Sahariah has also the distinction of performing the first Cadaver Renal Transplantation in Andhra Pradesh and has performed the first laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in the country. He has performed the first 10 successful renal transplant operations in Assam (Dibrugarh and Guwahati) during 1992-2003 and presently he is an adviser to the All Assam Kidney Transplant Forum for the Renal Transplant Programme.
Dr Sahariah, observing on the doctor-patient relation in Assam, said that here a section of doctors were maintaining a big distance from the patients, compelling the patients to seek treatment outside the State. �Because a section of doctors have failed to instil confidence in the patients, we see people coming outside the State for treatment of even very small problems,� said Dr Sahariah, emphasizing the need for a change in the attitude of such doctors who do not feel obliged to communicate with their patients and gain confidence.
