World Organ Donation Day: A Life-Saving Gift Everyone Needs to Embrace

World Organ Donation Day, observed every year on August 13th, reminds us of the critical importance of organ donation and its power to save lives.

The need for organ donors in India is critical, yet awareness remains low, and myths continue to cloud this noble cause.

What is Organ Donation?

Organ donation is the process of retrieving an organ from a living or deceased person, known as a donor and transplanting it to a recipient suffering from organ failure. This procedure can save lives. For instance, one organ donor can save up to nine lives by donating organs such as the kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas, and intestines.

Types of Donations: Living and Deceased

There are two primary types of organ donations:

1. Living Organ Donation: This occurs when a healthy person donates an organ, such as a kidney or a portion of the liver, to someone in need. The donor can live a healthy life even after the donation. Living donors are usually close relatives like parents, children, siblings, or spouses. In some cases, friends or distant relatives can donate, but they need special approval from the State Authorization Committee.
2. Deceased Organ Donation: This involves donating organs after a person has been declared brain stem dead, which means there is an irreversible loss of brain function. In India, organ donation after death is only allowed in cases of brain stem death, unlike in the West, where donation after cardiac death is also common.

Which Organs and Tissues Can Be Donated?

In India, a wide range of organs and tissues can be donated. The most commonly donated organs include:

• Kidneys: In high demand, as kidney diseases are prevalent.
• Liver: The liver can regenerate, making it possible for both deceased and living donors to help those in need.
• Heart and Lungs: These can only be donated after death.
• Pancreas and Intestines: Both can be donated by deceased donors, with the pancreas also being eligible for a partial donation from a living donor.

Tissues like corneas, bones, skin, and heart valves can also be donated. Corneal transplants, for example, can restore sight to those blinded by disease or injury.

Challenges in India

India faces a severe shortage of organs for transplantation. The demand is high, with over five lakh people needing transplants annually, yet only a small percentage of this demand is met. In 2017, only 905 deceased donors were reported across the country. This shortage is largely due to a lack of awareness and deep-rooted myths surrounding organ donation.

Many people believe that organ donation is possible after any kind of death, which is not true. In India, organs can only be donated if the person is declared brain stem dead by a certified team of doctors. Misconceptions and lack of knowledge often lead to families refusing to donate the organs of their deceased loved ones, further worsening the organ shortage.

The Role of Government and Organizations

To address this gap, the Indian government has established several organizations:

• NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization): This national body oversees the coordination and distribution of organs across India.
• ROTTO (Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation): These are regional bodies responsible for coordinating organ donation activities within their respective states.

Despite these efforts, more needs to be done to increase public awareness and encourage more people to pledge their organs.

The Way Forward

Organ donation is a gift that can save lives, and it’s a gift that more people in India need to consider. On this World Organ Donation Day, let’s pledge to educate ourselves and others about the importance of organ donation. By doing so, we can help bridge the gap between the need for organs and their availability, offering hope to thousands of patients waiting for a second chance at life.

Every organ donated is a life saved. Let’s make organ donation a priority and spread the word about this life-saving act.