New Delhi: Organ donation is a great donation. Even after death, one can remain alive in the body of another person by donating his organs. However, many people, who believe in the concept of rebirth and due to some other religious beliefs, don’t favour organ donation.
Taking such an initiative, the Organ Retrieval Banking Organization (ORBO) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi has started a unique way to raise awareness for organ donation. The organization will cover 500 km on cycles in Delhi NCR to make people aware of organ donation.
According to ORBO, there is a huge gap in our country between the demand for organs for transplant and their availability. Lakhs of people are waiting for organ transplants if the donors are available and their lives are saved, but there I not even one per cent of donors in our country.
In our country, one to one and a half to two lakh kidney transplants are needed every year, but out of these hardly 8,000 people can get kidneys. About 75,000 to 80,000 people require a liver transplant annually, but only 1,800 lucky ones get liver for transplant. Similarly, one lakh people need cornea transplants every year, but only 50,000 of them are able to get cornea transplanted. Every year 10,000 people need a heart transplant, but only 150 lucky ones get a heart transplant.
- CORONA SHADOW OVER ORGAN DONATION
Dr NK Gupta, Head, Forensic Department, GTB Hospital, Delhi, says that people have not been coming for organ donation for the last five months because of the coronavirus fear. One of the major reasons is the people’s restricted movement, which has brought the road accidents almost to nil. It is not to suggest that people should meet with road accidents and lose their lives, but the fact remains that most organ donations come from those who die in road accidents. Since there is a severe shrink in the availability of organs, the patients who need organ transplantation are getting dates only. There is no other option. It is high time to realize the pressing need to spread awareness among people about organ donations so that a large number of them can come forward voluntarily for organ donation.
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- RML HOSPITAL SAYS ‘NO’ TO KIDNEY TRANSPLANT
The 32-year-old Sanoj, a resident of Rohtak IN Haryana, is suffering from kidney failure. He was undergoing treatment at Dr RML Hospital. Before Sanoj would have got a date for his kidney transplant, Dr RML Hospital was declared as a COVID dedicated hospital to treat corona patients. Sanoj was asked to undergo a kidney transplant at another hospital. Sanoj does not have enough money to afford a private hospital for his kidney transplant. Currently, he is on dialysis, waiting for the situation to normalize. Similarly, Ghanshyam has to undergo a bone marrow transplant at AIIMS, but for want of a suitable donor due to corona, his transplant date has been rescheduled four times till now. His body does not generate blood. He is alive on borrowed blood.
- O.1 PC ORGAN DONORS IN INDIA
There is a huge gap between demand and supply so far as organ transplant in our country is concerned. According to Rajeev Maikhuri, Medical Service Officer (MSO) at ORBO, AIIMS-Delhi, "Body parts like heart, kidney, liver, cornea, tissues, bones, and skin are donated after death. The patients, who have got these organs damaged and because of which their life is threatened, get a new lease of life after undergoing organ transplant. Unfortunately, there are many misconceptions about organ donation in people’s minds in our country. People link organ donation with their religious beliefs."
"As a result, we do not have donated organs in proportion to the needs of our patients. Due to social and religious conservatism, India has a very poor ranking in terms of organ donation globally. Lakhs of patients are in the queue for organ transplants. They are waiting for someone to donate an organ to them so that their life can be saved, but there are not even 0.1 per cent organ donors in our country," he said.
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- 500-KM CYCLING TO CREATE AWARENESS
Awareness creation about organ donation is the only option. Rajeev points out that during the corona pandemic people are becoming victims of depression. They are in the grip of negative thoughts. As a result, many people are even taking extreme steps like committing suicides. In such a depressing situation, no one is thinking about organ donation, while lakhs of people are waiting for organ transplants in different hospitals across the country. Dr. Arti Vij, Head, ORBO Department, AIIMS, suggested us to do something creative, different to make people aware of the need for organ donation. On August 15, we took a pledge that within one month, we would cover 500 km on cycles in Delhi NCR to make people aware of organ donation.
- EXPLAINS DETAILS DURING CYCLING
Rajeev said, "During the cycle journey people are told about the importance of organ donation and the process involved in donating organs. They are told how they will remain alive in the body of others even after their deaths by donating organs to the needy patients. People are properly explained the whole procedure, which is adopted for organ donation. At the time of making people aware of organ donation, they are also asked to take a pledge. The process of the pledge is very simple. One can do it online, which is available on our website. One can also fill the form of ORBO by visiting online www.orbo.org or AIIMS website aiims.edu. When one fills this form online, he gets an e-registration card. You discuss this with your family member and tell them that you have decided to donate organs. What do they think? The institution with which the registration has been made will be informed after his death so that his organs are retrieved for transplant.
- FAMILY CONSENT IS NEEDED AFTER VOLUNTARY DECISION
Rajeev informs that the pledge form is not a legal paper, but the expression of the will of a person to donate his organs after death. It is, however, important that the family’s mood does not change after one’s death. It has been seen many times that the person is registered to donate his organ after his death, but his family refuses to do so. So, family consent, the decision is very important for this.
- INITIATIVE AIMS TO DEAL WITH CORONA IMPACT
Rajeev said that the people of his department decided to create awareness among people in view of corona, which has impacted organ donation so badly and thus lingering the needy patients’ wait for a transplant. The organ transplant is hardly taking place in the hospital these days as there is no donor. We have very rare brain death donations. Lakhs of
patients are waiting for organ transplants. They want people to donate their organs so that they can expect a new lease of life. To meet the expectations of these people, we have resolved that every Sunday or every government holiday, we will take our bicycles and will go to different places in Delhi to make people aware of organ donation. It will be our endeavour that we are able to mobilize more people towards organ donation. It is important that the people of Delhi cooperate with us, join us, and play their role in saving people’s lives.
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- AIM TO COVER 500-KM DISTANCE IN A MONTH
According to Rajiv, they have a target to cover 500-km, which we have started from our house in Vasundhara. On August 23, we covered a distance of 40-km via Raj Ghat, India Gate, and Gandhi Memorial. In total, I have covered 84 km so far. We still have 406 km to travel. We are getting double benefit from this decision of ours. One is that my health is getting better because of cycling. India will be healthier only if we are healthy. Also, my department and I are making people aware of organ donation.
- OPPORTUNITY TO STAY ALIVE EVEN AFTER DEATH
Organ donation has no parallels. People get another chance to stay alive even after their deaths and this is possible only through organ donation. Just think when someone meets with an accident and dies untimely, one leaves behind the regret of not living life to the fullest. But by donating the organ, you can stay alive in the body of others. You will remain alive in the form of a heartbeat or you will continue seeing the beautiful world by donating your eyes. Not only this! If the person with your organ also dies in an accident, then your body part can be used to save the life of a third person. You will also get a third body where you are alive. You can call it the recycling of life.
Rajeev appeals to people to come forward with positive energy and donate their organs and get the certificate that you are alive as you have saved someone else’s life. Organ donation never lets you die!
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