The main reason behind shortage of organ and donors across the globe is the widespread misconceptions.
Usually, people do not have much idea about organ donation due to lack of awareness. Sometimes, non-scientific facts gathered from internet complicate the overall usability of organ donation. Organ transplants can save numerous lives. In this article, we will discuss about Indian government’s steps to streamline organ donation process and debunk critical myths.
Only 10% of patients in need of organ get at the perfect time globally. Indeed, it's a shocking statistics. Lakhs people die every year just because of lack of organs. According to the Health Ministry’s own data, “the number of donors (including deceased) only grew from 6,916 in 2014 to about 16,041 in 2022.” India witness over 20 deaths everyday due to organ shortage.
The central government has instructed hospitals and medical colleges to accelerate the identification and declaration of brain-dead patients to enhance organ donation process.
The Health Ministry is preparing to organise the Indian Organ Donation Day (IODD) on August 3. To boost this “noble cause” for the sake of “humanity”, the Health Ministry has planned to observe a public awareness campaign Angdaan Jan Jagrukta Abhiyaan.
In a country with over 140 crores of population, the lack of awareness and misconceptions are to blame for lack of organ donation. Following are some of the key misconceptions you should avoid.
Fact: Not everyone is eligible for this noble work. It depends on the health status of the donor. Several medical conditions can immediately disqualify one from donation.
Fact: This is partial truth. Based on the medical condition, an organ recipient can definitely donate other organs. Doctors are concerned because of the administration of immunosuppressive drugs. However, tissue donation is not possible for a recipient.
Fact: The removal of organs or even tissue samples will surely not interfere with burial or funeral arrangements. People tend to think that the appearance of the patient's body will be changed, however, this is not true. A specialized surgical team removes the organs or tissues to be transplanted in other patients with utmost safety and care.
Fact: This is another partial truth. The Recovery period is variable for patients. Generally, within 3 months, most donors return to their pre-donation condition. Let's take an example of liver donation. After donating a part of liver, the remaining cells start regenerating or growing back to the natural size. Even after donating one kidney, the other kidney can effectively remove waste material from the body.
Fact: Generally, organ Donors spend few days to weeks in the hospital for recovery. People think organ donation as lethal. As donation is conducted after several check ups, the death due to organ donation is rare.
Fact: Doctors, generally match the blood group and health status of the donor. Of course, it is the best option to have a donor from the recipient's family, but in emergency situation, it might not be possible. Any person with same blood group and healthy kidney can donate others.
So, stay away from these misconceptions and encourage eligible persons for organ donation.
