Organ donation is the most generous act you can do to save the lives of others. The need of organs for transplantation is increasing around the world. India is also facing the problem of organ shortage because of the shortage of donors in our country.
It is estimated that about 1.5 lakh people suffer from end-stage kidney disease each year, and out of which only 3,000 are lucky enough to get the donors.
In the same way, about 2 million people die each year from liver or other organs failure. The lack of proper strategy, right knowledge, mindfulness and positive attitude towards organ donation could be the possible causes behind the huge gap between the need and availability of organs in India. Also the lack of proper information and education about the concept of brain death, myths related to surgery etc. are also one of those reasons that restrained a person from becoming an organ donor. The lack of consensus among people, fear of misuse of organs and health risks after organ donation acts as potential barriers to the successful implementation of organ donation programs in India.
In India, more and more people must make the commitment to donate their organs, then only the gap will bridge between the supply and demand of organs. But people are not yet aware and informed about the benefits of organ donation. Today, in the age of the Internet, we are fortunate to have social media and many other online portals. They slowly began to make an impact on society by raising awareness and organizing social campaigns on organ donation.
In India, “The Human Organ Transplantation Act” was passed in 1994 to put an end to the illegal organ trade. According to this law and its amendment (2011), organ donation can only have a therapeutic purpose. And at present, only certain organs and tissues can be donated and transplanted. These include - the kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, pancreas, skin, cornea, heart valves, bones and tendons. There are many myths and doubts in people's minds about organ donation that is why many people opt out themselves from organ donation. The only solution to this problem is to raise awareness among the people about the benefits of organ donation.
According to medical science, it is estimated that an "organ donor can give life to seven people". Organ donation is the most impeccable and humane act that people can do for their country. In many Western countries, it is mandatory for the population to commit to donating organs when applying for a driver's license. It is an effective measure that can help increase the number of organ donors. However, in India, people are not required to commit to donating organs, but we must learn good things from others. In our country, if a person is declared brain dead by a doctor who was a registered donor (and who also has a donor card), again in this case, the consent of the family is essential to approve organ donation.
Before considering people as organ donors, it is mandatory that they undergo several tests and medical procedures. If a person has certain diseases, such as active infection, cancer, active HIV, etc., they will be excluded from donation.
