Organ Transplantation is a medical procedure that saves up to millions of lives each day. Every single day, at least 15 patients die waiting for an organ and every 10 minutes a new name is added to this waiting list. Organ donation from a single individual can save up to 8 lives. Recently, due to increasing awareness and important need of Organ donation, many family members and people from different parts of the world are coming forward to donate organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas, so that it can transplanted into another person who is in a urgent need for it. India is struggling for organ donations and organ transplants, as it has one of the globally lowest Organ donation rates. It also faces acute shortage of organ transplants due to the unfortunate gap between the number of organs required and the organs available for transplantation.
In India the main challenge that creates obstacles for organ donation nation is compounded by bureaucratic hurdles and lack of awareness.The first challenge is red-tapism and lengthy paperwork. According to existing rules, if the potential donor is not related to the person who needs the organ, the transplant needs to be approved by a state-level committee or by a hospital committee that includes government officials.The next challenge is that it is often difficult for family members to accept their loved one is brain dead. On a life support system, the person looks like he/she is sleeping. The fact that the body is warm to touch and the heart is beating makes it difficult for doctors to convince the family members to donate the organs of their relatives. Even if the family is ready to donate organs, superstitions and misconceptions become impediments.
Nevertheless, there has been an increase in the number of donors in the last five or six years, but since the base is very minimal, the effect is also very weak. Several cine celebrities, sportsmen and business captains have come forward and supported the cause and the government is also trying to promote organ donation and how it can save millions of lives.
Praiseworthy initiative was taken by the southern state of Tamil Nadu by declaration of brain death mandatory. It is still continuously promoting and supporting the cause of organ donation. Citizens, traffic police and government bodies come together when needed in a coordinated effort to create green corridors, that are special routes created to allow collected organs to reach the expected hospital waiting for it as soon as possible. Recently, a big leap was achieved in the city of Mumbai as it crossed the 200 mark of cadaveric organ transplants which was done due to the two-decade old organ donation program. This year, 208 transplants were successfully done because 73 families donated organs of deceased loved ones. The possibility for achieving this milestone came true due to rigorous spreading of awareness by the government and social communities and also due to identifying and notifying brain deaths and allowing non-transplant centers to retrieve the organs.
Now, along with organs you can also donate tissues such as skin, heart valves, ligaments, bones, veins, corneas, etc. so that it can be used in transplant procedures in order to repair various defects, injuries, and so forth.
It is necessary for the people of India to understand the urgency of Organ Transplantation, its benefits, and should encourage its population for organ donation so that many more people will step up. India must acknowledge those who donate their organs as it will encourage others to follow suit.
