ORGAN DONATION - Slideshow

What is Organ donation

Organ donation is the process of removing tissues or organs from a live, or recently dead, person to be used in another.

The former is the donor and the latter is the recipient.

People of all ages can become donors.

"It matters not how a man dies, but how he lives. The art of dying is not of importance, it lasts so short a time." - Dr. Johnson

Type of donors

Some organs can be donated by a living person

Almost all organs can be donated by someone dead but this has to reach the recipient within a few hours after the donor's death.

In case of live donation the donor should give his consent .

In case of cadaver donation, relatives need to provide consent.

Voluntary Donation

Almost everywhere organ donation is voluntary

Two voluntary systems include -

Opt In - Where the donor gives consent

Opt Out - Where anyone who has not refused is considered as a donor

In India we have the Opt in system, while many western countries practice the opt out system

Organs for Donation

Some of the organs that are commonly donated -

Kidneys

Eyes (cornea)

Heart

Lungs

Liver

Pancreas

Skin

Organ shortage - reasons

Family dissent and negative attitude contribute towards organ shortage.

This could be due to the following reasons -

Religion

Fear, ignorance and misunderstanding

Legal aspects

Media reports on scandals involving organ rackets

Improving Organ Donation

Currently organ donation can be termed as a "crisis with a cure." The following are some ways to improve organ donation-

Improved patient care to facilitate easier approach for organ donation, in case of patient death Trained transplant co-ordinators and grief counsellors Improved hospital infrastructure Qualified Intensivists and Surgeons

Improving Organ Donation

Increased HLA typing and cross matching facilities

Improved facilities in packing,transport and retrieval of organs

Supporting organizations for networking and registry maintenance

Effective use of technology to facilitate organ donation

Role of society

Society plays a crucial role in transplant programme especially in case of cadaver transplants.

There is a urgent need for increased public awareness regarding organ donation and greater effort must be taken to dispel public concerns regarding the same. Organ donation can give a new twist to tragedy. Remember "organs wasted are lives lost".