While the medical science continues to fight an ongoing battle with new and old diseases, most of which are curable and treatable today if diagnosed timely, there are many for which the only cure is a new organ and organ-transplant the only treatment. Unfortunately there is not even enough awareness in this area, leave aside the donation.
While just a fortunate few are able to receive organ, thousands more just silently pass away — waiting for a second chance at life, but they never find a donor. Almost everybody who dies naturally or even in an accident, is a potential donor; yet most of the patients cannot find a donor due to the lack of enough public awareness on the matter. A great deal of effort is needed for creating awareness in the field of organ donation. It’s here where Sai Milan wants to contribute by playing a significant role.
Organ shortage is a global problem but India lags behind much of the rest of the world. The dismal organ donation rate of 0.05 per million against 6 per million rate of small countries like Poland and Hungary and 32 per million of Spain, needs an urgent attention not just at the official but at the individual level.
India is known as the world capital of Diabetes, one of the main causes of kidney failure. Diabetes also affects organs like eyes and heart. This would create greater demand for organs and hence the need for their donation. Apart from this, average life span in India is 65 year and improving, which means age related ailments including organ ailments would increase – adding to the demand for more organs.
Even a rate of 1 per million would substantially take care of our current demand. With a donation rate of 2 per million, there won’t be any need to undertake living kidney and eye donations. Further improvement in this can gradually take care of SAARC, Asia and ultimately even the rest of the world.
Being an organ donor is generous thing and a very noble decision which can give a fresh lease of life to somebody else. Though lack of proper information is definitely a cause for not enough people coming forward to donate organs, another factor contributing to the problem is misconceptions and myths that surround organ donation.
Organ Donation takes healthy organs and tissues from one person for transplantation into another. Experts say that the organs from one donor can save or help as many as 50 people. Organs you can donate include
Internal organs: Kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs
Skin
Bone and bone marrow
Cornea
People of all ages and background can be organ donors. If you are under age 18, your parent or guardian must give you permission to become a donor. If you are 18 or older you can show you want to be a donor by signing a donor card. You should also let your family know your wishes.
The recent gesture of late Jyoti Basu to donate his entire body to the hospital for research is an exemplary thing. Though it is an extremely difficult thing to do but at least some of the parts must be donated after death so that the pain and suffering of the living ones can be cured.
