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Certifying brain death now a must in DelhiMay 1, 2016, 12.23 AM IST

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New Delhi: The Delhi government has issued a circular making it

mandatory for all hospitals to ascertain and certify brain death-

irreversible loss of brain function due to any disease or trauma.

This, the government says, is not just necessary for boosting

organ donation. This will also check incidences where patients with

irreversible brain function are kept in hospitals causing anxiety and

financial burden on their kin.

According to the circular issued by state health secretary Dr Tarun Seem,

many medical practitioners are not following the prescribed procedure in

all cases of brain stem death.

"All clinicians, when facing a situation where 'brain stem death' is suspected, must follow the procedure mentioned in Section

3(6) of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994 to certify brain stem death in Form 10," the circular says.

Multiple tests are conducted by a competent medical board, which decides whether there is any possibility of revival of brain

function, said Dr Sudhir Gupta, professor and head of forensic medicine and toxicology at AIIMS.

Once a patient is certfied brain-dead, multiple organs and tissues can be harvested, including heart, kidney, lung, liver and

pancreas, for transplantation.

Dr S K Sarin, director of Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, said the move by the Delhi government is a welcome step. "It will

increase the organ pool and help save many lives," he said.

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Sources said the Delhi Organ Transplant Cell, which is headed by Dr Anil Aggarwal, held several meetings with forensic experts,

police and transplant surgeons before deciding that brain stem death assessment is mandatory. The government is also

contemplating nominating experts, who can assist hospitals in this, said sources.

As per the provision of Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), once the brain stem death is declared, the doctor is

required to make a request-to let the patient's relatives know about the option to authorise or decline the donation of organs or

tissues or both.

Dr Aarti Vij, chief of Organ Retrieval and Banking Organisation at AIIMS, said brain stem death assessment is necessary. "Our

hospital has put a lot of focus on identiying such cases and then requesting the family of such patients to donate organs."