ORGAN India: Exemplary dedication to organ donation

A prominent minister of India passed away; and the doctor treating him rues the fact that his patient could have survived had he had a liver transplant. This is a small example of India’s flawed organ donation system. In a country where 2, 00, 000 people need a new kidney every year, and almost 1, 00,000 require kidney transplant, only 2% to 3% of the demand is fulfilled. Finding a suitable donor match is difficult to begin with. In India, awareness regarding organ donation is still in its infancy, a challenge that is compounded by bureaucratic hurdles. ORGAN India is an initiative to address the dismal state of deceased organ donation in India.

Medical science has taken great strides forward, and organ transplant is a leap. Healthy organs can be donated and are used to replace diseased organs in ailing humans. For organ recipients, a transplant often means a second chance at life itself.

Organ donation is classified under Deceased Organ Donation and Living Organ Donation. Living Donor Transplant is where the organs are transplanted from a living person. For example, in a living organ liver transplant, a healthy person (usually a family member, friend or co-worker) donates a portion of their liver to the transplant patient. The healthy liver lobe from the donor is then attached in place of the recipient's diseased liver, which is removed, through surgical procedures. The healthy liver regenerates healthy liver tissue and the patient gets a new lease of life. Eventually, both donor and recipient are able to continue with their normal lives. A living donor can donate blood, bone marrow, and kidney, portion of liver, portion of pancreas, and portion of lung tissue. These are then used to save lives through lungs transplant, bone marrow transplant and pancreas transplant procedures. In case of Cadaver or Deceased Donor Transplant, organ or tissue is taken from cadavers or brain dead patients. For example a cornea transplant where the cornea of the eyes is taken from a deceased individual, can impart vision to two blind people. Naturally, vital organs like eyes, heart, ovaries can be donated only in the event of death.

Living donor transplantation has several advantages over deceased donor programmes:

• The kidney from a live donor is of the best quality, and last twice as long. Live donor kidneys transplanted today will function for an average of 20 years
• The complicated surgical procedure can be timed for the optimal health of the recipient and the donor
• A living donor transplant eliminates the long wait time
• The live donor operation is safe for the donor

In a setting of organ scarcity, Multi Organ Transplant (MOT) is gaining new ground. This means more than one organ is transplanted at the same time. MOT offers substantial benefits to certain recipients, including avoiding serial surgeries.

The Organ Receiving & Giving Awareness Network (ORGAN) India is an offshoot of The Parashar Foundation, a Delhi-based NGO. The organization, with tie-ups with key institutions across the country, has done good work towards increasing awareness for organ donation in India.

Organ India provides all information and rules about human organ such as organ transplant, eye donation, cadaver organ donation, deceased organ donation, organ donor card, pledging organs, organ recipient stories and film on brain death.