Shocking things happening at TFI

[elsaen11]

The idea of kidnapping an unknown person, administering carbon monoxide and harvesting their organs may make a thrilling plot for a movie, but transplantation experts say storylines like this prove to be a setback to the efforts to promote cadaver organ transplantation.

Two movies were recently released — Kaaki Sattai and Yennai Arindhaal — that dealt with organ smuggling. “While movies like this may be fun to watch, they often prove detrimental to the organ donation movement,” Sunil Shroff, managing trustee, MOHAN Foundation, said.

Complicated process

“Transplantation of organs is a very complicated process, and the laws are strictly implemented. It is impossible to run an organ racket the way they are portrayed in films,” he said. For live donors, only blood relatives — mother, father, brother, sister or child — can donate. If the donation is from another source, then the authorities have to be convinced that it is for an altruistic purpose.

There are a number of factual errors in these movies, which could create panic among the public. For example, if a patient is given carbon monoxide to induce brain death, all the other organs too will be useless. “Even kidneys cannot be stolen from a living person, and a number of tests have to be done to see if there is a match before they can be transplanted,” Dr. Shroff said.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/...cle7532517.ece