Now, ‘Transplantcare’ app to help transplant patients

Pune: In a one of its kind initiative, a city-based company has launched an organ transplant app, ‘Transplantcare’, which will serve as a platform for patients as well as doctors for pre-transplant as well as post-transplant care.

Speaking about the aim of the application, Founder and CEO of Metamagics Computing Limited, the company which developed the application, Anita Puranik said that transplants recipients are differently challenged than other patients.

“Unlike cancer patients or other patients, organ recipients have to face a long waiting period at times. In case of cancer, if the patient is doing well and financial issues are not there then the patient can immediately undergo a surgery. However, in the case of organ recipients, the condition is very different,” said Puranik.

She added that the many patients have to wait for as long as three years to get the concerned organs which match other needs for the patients too.

“During this time, many patients do not keep up with their health. They face a lot of medical complications as a vital organ is already in a bad shape. The aim of the application is to bridge this gap. We know that many patients belong to the rural parts of the state and they cannot afford to go to city-based specialist considering the financial restrictions,” said Puranik.

She further added that in this case, the patients can upload the necessary reports on the application and the doctors can check the reports. “This way, the patients can take care of their health better before the transplant which is equally necessary,” she said. She highlighted that as many as 60 per cent of patients die while still on the waiting list for organ transplant.      

“Also, during the post-transplant care, there are a lot of side effects and hence, the patients need the help of secondary level. This application helps the patient to get in touch with experts who deal with such cases daily,” she added. 

So far, the application identifies patients who need kidney, liver, pancreas, kidney-pancreas, kidney-liver transplant. Soon, the company will be including heart, lungs and heart-lung transplant as well. 

Speaking to Sakal Times, Arti Gokhale, Coordinator, Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC), Pune, said that such initiatives are very helpful in making the process easier for patients. 

“Also, through such initiatives more and more people will spread the word for organ transplant,” said Gokhale.