Organ donation

Organ donation and transplantation is one of the remarkable medical success stories of this century. Besides eyes and kidneys it is also possible to transplant other organs like heart, lungs, liver and pancreas. To make all these transplants possible and alleviate the sufferings of many, the Indian Government in 1994 passed an act called “The transplantation of human organs act’’

Over the years, organ donation has proved to be very successful.  Donor card is the first step in this regard and your signing this card can save many lives.

Who can be a donor?
Anyone from a child to an old person, even if you had serious illnesses in the past, can become a donor under the right circumstances.

Can people buy or sell organs?
No, the “Transplantation Human Organs Act” prohibits any commercial dealings in organs and makes this a punishable offence.

Does organ donation leave the body disfigured?
No, the recovery of organs is carried out by well-trained surgeons with the greatest care and does not disfigure the body or change the way it looks.

Are there any religious objections to organ donation?
Most religions support the concept of organ donation. However if you have any doubt you can discuss it with your spiritual or religious leader.

How is eye donation different from other organ donations?
Eyes can be donated for up to 6 hours after death. To be useful, kidneys have to be removed within half an hour of death.

Organs can be retrieved from “brain dead” patients i.e. patients who are clinically dead though their hearts continue to beat. Brain death usually results from a severe brain injury or brain bleed which causes all brain activity to stop. This can happen after a major road accident or bleeding in the brain due to stroke. If the breathing support machines of these patients were stopped the heart stops due to brain death. As this death was under controlled circumstances [i.e. in the intensive care of hospitals], It was possible to retrieve some of their organs like kidney, heart and liver.

How do doctors know that a brain dead patient is really dead?
Two different doctors who are not involved with the patient treatment and who are from a panel of doctors as recommended by the Government and from a different hospital, carry out a series of tests to confirm that a patient is “brain stem dead”. The standards are very strict and are accepted medically, legally and ethically all over the world.

Don’t take your organs to heaven for God knows they are needed here
After you have departed from this world, organ donation is the most wonderful legacy you can leave behind. The eyes continue to see the wonders of the world and the heart continues to sing a new song!!After our death we don’t need any of our organs so why burn or bury them when we can save so many lives, besides restoring sight.  So become an organ donor and help your fellow human beings.

What is a donor card?
Donor card is a way of expressing your wishes. It is like making a will. By signing the donor card you have agreed to organ donation.

How do I carry the donor card?
Keep this card always with you in your purse or wallet. Let your close relatives know your wishes about organ donation.

Who else needs to sign my donor card and why?
By law two witnesses are required to sign your consent form for donation. One of these has to be a near relative, the second can be a friend or another relative.

Dr Edgar Menezes