On an average, 18 people die in India each day awaiting an organ transplant. There are around 1.5 lakh people in India who need a kidney.
Today (August 6) is Organ Donation Day. Various programs, activities and events are being organized throughout India to spread awareness among people about the importance of donation of organ.
Relatives, guardians and parents of a person go from pillar to post in search of a donor but some myths and fear that prevail among our society make it impossible to find one. Result, patient dies.
These patients can be saved if we just become open minded.
In India people find it difficult to part with organs of their loved ones even after death. But the thing is these organs can provide life to another loved one. He/she can live, breathe if an organ is donated.
Superstitions are also a hurdle in donating organs in India. Some are bizarre like people believe whichever organ they donate, in the next life you will be born without that.
In comparison to western countries, only 0.01 percent Indians pledge to donate their organ with respect to around 70-80 percent in Europe and USA.
Surprisingly when it comes to donation India women are the one donating more than men. The ratio is 20:80.
Selling organs in India is illegal but still some donation racket prevails. Instead, people should be encouraged to donate.
To stop the donation racket amendments were made to Transplantation of Human Organs Act (Thoa), 1994, which the government passed in 2008.
According to Transplantation of Human Organs Act, spouse, son, daughter, father, mother, brother, sister grandparents, grandchildren, uncles and aunts can donate their organ for the patient.
Also, not-so-close relatives who have stayed with the patient can donate organs, provided there is no commercial dealing.
The law makes swapping of organs between two unrelated families legal in cases where organs of willing near-relative donors are found medically incompatible. But the swap should be without any commercial transactions, it stipulates.
Giving life to someone is a heavenly cause that everyone can do. No not for going to heaven or to have a better after life or next life but for the fact that your kidney or heart or lung or intestine can help another person see the world, live in it, smile, cry, make friends and most importantly breathe.
Pledge and register to Donate Organ, Save life....
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