The Need Of Organ Donation And Transplantation In India

Deepshikha Gogoi

deepshikhagogoi2014@gmail.com

Organ donation is one of the greatest achievement of the 20th century which has saved many
lives, though it’s momentum in India is very slow due to lack of awareness among people,
poor infrastructure,lot of myths associated with it etc. Organ donation is a process where a
person irrespective of one’s age, gender or race allows his organ to be removed and
transplanted to another person, legally either by his own consent, when he is alive (donor) or
after dead, with the consent of his next kin.
It is a very nobel cause which should be undertaken and also encouraged by more and
more individuals, as through it, lives of many can be saved. Statistics shows that one person
can saveup to 8 lives by donating heart, lungs, pancreas, kidneys, intestine, liver, bones, bone
marrow, skin and corneas as well as tissues. There are three kinds of organ donation namely
Live Donors, Cadaveric or Brain Death Donors and Natural Death Donors. Live donors or
living donors are usually family members or close friends of that person who requires a
transplant. In brain death donor, organs from a Brain Deathperson are transplanted into the
body of a living person (receipient). And in case of natural death donors, a person after his or
her natural death can donate but the donation must take place within a reasonable time.
Organ donation rates in India is around 0.3 per million as compared to some Western
countries, where it is as high as 36 per million. In the US it is around 26 per million
populations. Countries like Austria, Spain and Belgium are also prominent. Many countries
believe that every person organs should be donated unless denied. While in India the rate is
very minimal and in North East it is abysmal. Brain death is a major challenge to organ
donation program in India as there is a problem of certifying brain death. Socio cultural
factors, religious beliefs and lack of organizational support makes it difficult to convince the
relatives of such patients to donate. But since 2011 a rule has been made in the Indian law
allowing amendments which requires the doctors to request the family members for organ
donation in case of incidents of probable brain death. As of today, organ donation process is
governed by the Government both national and state. The Transplantation of Human Organs
and Tissues Transplant Organization (NOTTO) is the agency which regulates all organ
transplants in India.
The need of the hour is to make our citizens aware of their duty and responsibility to donate
their organs which can save life after their death. Donating an organ facilitates a second
chance to lifefor many. Organ transplant helps people with organs failures and for some it
minimizesthe expenses that are incurred during their struggle for survival. Organ donation is
also beneficial for the medical science research. The process of donating is also simple as any
person willing to donate his/ her organs can do so by filling out the donor consent form which
can be obtained from NOTTO website or from the medical organization that is approached
for organ removal. A potential donor can also approach organ donation agencies for a donor
card. But even after obtaining the card if the person dies, his family still needs to approve the
donation. Hence, before obtaining the card it’s important to obtain the family's consent.
More awareness should be created regarding organ donation. For instance public awareness is
themost vital in this regard which can be created through seminars, street plays etc. Initiative
should also be taken to remove the myths and age old beliefs related to organ donation. Many
believe that if they donate their organs their bodies would be crippled. They may be made
aware of the fact that even after organ donation or transplantation the body remains in a good
condition and can be interred by the family as per their religious funeral rites. Also it is
believed by most that it is against their religion to donate but in fact most religions support
organ donation and treat it as an act of love and affection towards others. So these myths and
beliefs have to be removed through proper public awareness. Moreover, doctors should be
well trained for transplantation and hospitals should be properly equipped for such medical
procedure. The government should take appropriate measures in this direction along with the
voluntary organization. Funds should be allocated for this purpose. An organ donor should
always be welcomed with open hands and he/she should be projected as a role model for the
others. In the educational institutions, children from a very young age should be taught about
the importance of organ donation so that they always feel inclined towards this act of
benevolence. This can be achieved through playful methods, group discussions, or maybe by
bringing or inviting the one with donor card to deliver a lecture on the same. Similarly, the
government organizations and voluntary organizations can do the same through the street
plays, seminars, group discussions etc. Relatives of brain dead patients should be
psychologically dealt with by experts, so that they can go ahead with the whole procedure
with an open mind. Celebrities should also come forward to take the initiative in this
direction. So let us all pledge to donate our organs and thereby help others to live a life in a
beautiful and meaningful way.