BEING HUMAN

                    

                  BEING HUMAN

Anmol, a Delhi-based, 21-year-old boy died in a bike accident recently. A tough call, but his grieving family decided that the untimely death of their young son should bring life to someone else. His family donated all his organs to the AIIMS organ center.

This should serve as an inspiration to others to do the same. The number of organ donations in India is much lower than any other nation. A lack of awareness is cited as one of the main reasons for this poor record.

 Organ donation: What it means

It is the donation of the biological tissue or an organ of the human body from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplant.

Who can donate?

Almost anyone can donate organs or tissues within certain time limits after death. Oxygen is circulated in the blood through a ventilator so that organs can be used for transplant theSpecialized health professionals assess each person at the time of death to decide which organs and tissues are suitable for donation. Organs that can be donated after death include the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, and small bowel. Living donors can also provide a kidney or part of their liver. On rare occasions, living donors have donated a portion of their lung or small bowel to relatives who were waiting for a transplant.

http://www.transplant.ca/pubinfo_orgtiss.htm

Who does it benefit?

A person who suffers from brain death can save lives of about eight people as kidneys, lungs, heart, eyes, blood vessels, tissues, cartilage, and other organs can be donated to needy patients.

 Obstacles to donation

-     - -There is a lot of red-tapism and paperwork involved in getting a transplant,

-       -Finding a donor match is difficult,

-      - it is often difficult for family members to accept their loved one is brain dead.

-     - Religious superstitions become impediments.

If 20 percent of families whose member had a brain death donate his or her organs, all requirements for organ transplantation in India would be fulfilled.

According to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi, from 1995 to 2011, Tamil Nadu has performed 295 organ donations, Maharashtra 150, Andhra Pradesh 137, Delhi 64, Uttar Pradesh nine and Chhattisgarh seven. 

We need to change people's mindset and show them why organ donation must be done.

Becoming a donor

One simplest ways is register is at the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). When a person goes in to renew their license they are always presented with becoming a donor. With just the simple check of the “Yes” box and a signature, a person can become a donor.

Another way for someone to become an organ donor is online.

The National Network for Organ Donors or Donate life Colorado and select the tab that says, “Become a donor.” This will prompt a series of questions from name, ID number, to specifications of donation;