Awareness on Organ Donation

Organ donation (OD) has been one of the greatest developments in modern biological sciences that has become a new ray of hope for the patients suffering from terminal illness. Transplantation is described as the transfer of human tissues or organs from a donor to a recipient and was legalized in India in 1994.

The number of people requiring an organ and tissue transplantation is increasing day by day. Organs such as “part of liver” and “kidney” can be donated by healthy controls, without causing any health hazard to the donor.

Shortage of organ donation is one of the major problems the medical field is facing currently. This is due to a lack of awareness and false perceptions about Organ donation among the general population. Appropriate measures to educate and create awareness among the major group of the population, like ,the  young individuals are important to improve the availability of the amount of donor organs to the recipients in line. Therefore, we as medical professionals need to play a major role in spreading positive knowledge toward organ donation among the people.

India is struggling with acute shortage of organs for transplantation, which costs many people their lives. By donating organs you can help a person or child to live on after your death, or by donating organs like kidney or liver tissue, heart and lungs. It is estimated that more than a million people suffer with last stage organ failure, but only a handful of transplants are performed annually. At least 15 patients die every day waiting for organs and every 10 minutes a new name is added to this waiting list. Undoubtedly, the demand by far outstrips the availability of organs. And no one can escape this harsh reality.

A well-organized approach is needed to raise awareness among the youth about the various aspects of organ donation which is required to eliminate the setbacks that affect the rate of availability of donated organs.

Motivational messages and facts are a few of the means of intervention to help in bringing about changes regarding perceptions and intentions about organ donation among the students. Other informational tools such as advertisements, campaigns, and exhibitions, can improve the awareness about organ donation among the population. Since media plays a major role in communication these days, it should take up the initiative of presenting the legislative laws that are involved in the process of organ donation.

The last resort of medicine for a critical patient is organ transplants, where a patient’s conditions weakens to such an extent that only a replacement of the deficient organ can save him or her. The percentage of people who are in need of organ transplantation has increased in the recent years.

Remember 1 Organ Donor can Save 8 Lives.

Pledge Today to Donate Your Organ and Save a life.

Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale
Director, Heart and Lung Transplantation Program
Senior Consultant Cardiothoracic and Minimal Access Surgeon