Scarcity of eyes and similar human body organs:

Donate Eye

Human Organs are useful to others even after death

Organ Donor

यदी आप गुगल क्रोम इस्तेमाल करते हो तो हिंदी में पढ़ने के लिये इधर क्लिक किजीये. फायर फॉक्स आय ई भी इस्तेमाल करते हो तो भी शायद पढ़ सकेंगे। प्रयत्न किजीये। There are many willing donors and still there is a scarcity of human organs of different types. Population of blind people in India is approximately 25 million. This number is approximately one fourth of the total blinds in the world. In India around 25 persons out of 1000 are blind. In developed countries there are just 3 out of 1000 are blind. Blindness in many cases is avoidable and curable. Approximately 5 million Indians are blind due to defective cornea. Corneal blindness means transparent thin outer layer of eye (cornea), becomes clouded due to nutritional deficiency or injury or disease like trachoma, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis etc. This leads to loss of vision. Corneal grafting is a solution for this. Sad part is majority of blind people never get cured because of non availability of suitable cornea. There are enough qualified surgeons and plenty of potential donors but still corneal transplantation are scarce in India. Although every year 10 million people die corneal donation does not exceed more than a few thousand. There are many reasons for very low eye donation in India. These are:-

1.      Lack of awareness

2.      Absence of motivation

3.      Social and religious taboo

4.      Improper infrastructure

Not that corneal grafting is always successful. There are failures too. There are many reasons for the same. The major causes of graft failure are rejection of allograft (29.2%), increased intraocular pressure (16.9%), infection excluding endophthalmitis (15.4%), and surface problems (12.7%). In spite of these obstacles corneal grafting is undertaken at high success rates at many hospitals in India. Hospitals atMumbai and Delhi may be found here.

Liver Transplant is successful provided reasons, time, doctor and person matches with each other. Apart from cornea liver donation, kidney donation is also important. With advances in science and technology each and every part of the body may be suitable for donation. Hence it is important to consider this issue and find solution.

What is organ donation?

In organ donation, a person pledges during her/his lifetime, that after death, organ/s from the body can be used for transplantation to help terminally ill patients get a new lease of life. According to the law, however, the prerogative on the decision eventually rests with the next of kin of the deceased.

Legal position on organ donations:

Organ donations are legal by Indian law. The Indian government enacted the Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), 1994, which allows organ donation, and legalised the concept of 'brain death'. Such persons are kept on artificial support so that the organs are in a healthy condition until they are removed. Organs of such patients can be transplanted to terminally ill patients.

Documents required:

The donor needs to fill a prescribed consent form, which can either be downloaded from the ministry of health and family welfare, government of India (http://mohfw.nic.in/) or accessed from the medical facility that is approached for organ removal. A written consent from the lawful custodian of the body after the death of the patient in a prescribed application form is necessary.

Potential donor can also approach organ donation agencies for a donor card. This card is not legally binding though. Donor card is a means of expressing ones willingness to donate kidneys and make family more understanding towards the cause.

Points to remember:

Brain stem death is requiredto be declared by four doctors twice in a time frame of six hours. The Doctorsrequired for this purpose are 1. medical administrator in charge of thehospital, 2.  authorized specialist, 3.neurologist/neuro-surgeon and 4. medical officer treating patient. Healthyorgans should be transplanted as soon as possible from the donor to therecipient. Person lawfully in possession of the dead body is the authority togive consent for organ donation donation does not attract any charges for theorgan.

In spite of the following there is scarcity of donation of human organs.

1.      Adequate protection from law.

2.      Many people are ready for donation.

3.      Many persons lawfully in possession of dead body are willing to fulfil wish of the dead.

Reasons for this are firstly lack of awareness and secondly non-availability of safe/easily approachable centres for registering human organ donation. In my opinion the government and charity organisations should come together to establish a chain for registration and collection of the donation (human organ). Network should be established as suggested below:-

1.      The government should launch a website giving complete information about donation of human organ i.e. scientific information, legal information and procedure for registration and transfer of donated human organ.

2.      Every clinic in India should be made responsible for registration of donor and human organ with complete information. The clinic should maintain this information till donation of the organ is completed. Clinic should provide this information to nearest hospital responsible for collection of organ and maintaining it till it is transplanted.

3.      The clinic must advise all patients about donation or organs and remove all their doubts. During waiting period of patients in clinic a film should be played on TV or presentation should run for the benefits of the patients.

4.      Clinic shall not charge the government for this service.

5.      Hospitals shall not charge or collect any fee for collection and maintenance of organ.

6.      Hospital undertaking transplant should charge only surgery fee as the organ is available free.

7.      Ministry of Health should supervise the infrastructure so created without putting clinics and hospitals under stress. Employees should not use this for personal benefits.

I am convinced that donors would be available once the infrastructure is created and executed in flawless manner without giving any chance to any one in the link to pressurise others.