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If You Want To Be An Organ Donor, Here Are 5 Important Things You Should Know

By Sanita Pillai in Health and Life, Lists
12th January, 2016

By Sanita Pillai:

organ donationOrgan transplant is a surgical procedure to replace a diseased organ with a healthy donor organ. It is often the only treatment for organ failure. In the entire process, first the patient enrols himself/herself on the waiting list for transplant. Only after getting enrolled and getting an appropriate organ, the diseased organ is replaced by the healthy one donated by a donor.

It was a great achievement in medical history when organ transplantation was introduced to us; new hope for the people who were suffering from organ failure.

Unfortunately, only a few of the people in need of a healthy organ have received benefits from the medical procedure. Yes, that’s true and with that let’s face some other bitter truths about the scenario of organ donation in India:

1. Nearly 500,000 people die due to unavailability of organs each year.

2. Every year, nearly 150,000 people await a kidney transplant, but only 5000 get one.

3. In India, the country of 1.2 billion people, the PMP i.e. persons as organ donor per million population is just 0.08 which is extremely low compared to other countries.

4. Every year, nearly 1,000,000 lakh people suffer from blindness and await transplant.

Apart from these hard-hitting facts, black marketing is another harsh truth of which you will not feel proud. India has become one of the major black markets for organs. Despite organ trading is illegal in India, every year nearly 10,000 organs are traded of which kidneys hold 75 percent.

Now after knowing these facts, questions may arise in your mind such as: Why there is an unavailability of organs? Why are people not willing to take part in such a noble thing that can save many lives? Why is black marketing happening?

The answer to all these questions is a lack of awareness, which always confuse people for this noble cause. Hence, it is now time to clear all the confusions as getting rid of them can help save lives.
A few questions that always come in between us and organ donation are:

1. I am under 18, or I am too old. Am I eligible for organ donation?

There is no age limit for organ donation. Organs can be donated by someone as young as a newborn or as old as a 75-year-old.

2. I have a history of medical illness. Can I donate my organs?

The decision to donate or use an organ depends on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not healthy enough for donation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. The medical professionals are the best people who can determine whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.

3. If I get admitted to a hospital due to some medical issues, and doctors find that I want to be a donor. Will they try to save my life?

If you are admitted to a hospital, the number one priority for the doctors is to save your life. The transplant team will not make any move until all lifesaving efforts have failed and death has been determined. They will also not take any step until your family has consented to donation.

4. What organs can be donated while alive?

It has become common to donate organs or partial organs while alive. Kidneys are the most common organs donated by living donors. Other organs that can be donated by living donors include partial liver, a lobe of a lung, pancreas or intestine. Also, living donors can donate fluids or tissues that can be regenerated such as blood, bone marrow, and parts of the liver.

5. What will happen to my health after donating an organ?

Organ transplantation has same complications/ risks as all major surgeries such as infection, blood clots and pain. In fact, it sometimes also has long term complications. But it depends on many factors such as health condition of the donor, donated organ and the procedure.

Few of the long-term complications based on specific organs are:

Kidney: Kidney failure, Hypertension
Liver: Renal failure, Gastric problems, Intra-abdominal bleeding
Pancreas: Diabetes

Recovery time depends on the same factors as complications after organ donation; health condition of the donor, organ and the procedure. It can take weeks to months.
Hence, before undergoing the procedure, make sure you ask every possible thing about risks, side-effects and recovery time to your doctor or transplant team.

Now when you have finally decided to become an organ donor, the only remaining question is: where to go? There are many health care organizations where you can donate organs and save lives. One of these organizations is Manipal Hospitals.

“Pledge to Donate” is an initiative driven by Manipal Hospitals to encourage people for organ donation and to ensure that the patients, suffering from diseased organs, can easily undergo early organ transplantation.

Remember, one donor can save 8 lives!

You must be to comment.

  1. Dr Sathya

    If you are need to donate your kidney for funds contact us as soon as possible for Genuine donor and genuine buyer, contact via Email: (sathyakidneyhome@gmail.com Or Call Us call Us 07795042249

  2. Sibi Raj

    Informative & encouraging article. I want to pledge my eyes but I’m not aware of the procedure to take it forward. http://www.radiancemedispas.com/best-dermatologists-in-bangalore.html

  3. Jones Simon

    Apollo Hospital This is to inform the general public Male or Female who are
    healthy and 100% serious in selling their
    kidney should urgently As we have a lot of patients who are here for kidney
    transplant, Are you seeking for an opportunity
    to sell your kidney for money due to financial break down.We specialized in
    Kidney Surgery/transplant and other organ
    treatment, we also deal with buying and transplantation of kidneys with a
    living and healthy donor.countries such as
    Indian, Turkey, USA, Malaysia,Indonesia,Poland,Spain. we shall offer you
    $750,000USD If you are interested in selling your
    kidney please. don’t hesitate to contact Us on Telephone no:
    +918867802433.or Email:apollohospital44@gmail.com.All you have
    to do is to follow some simple steps and help our team understand your
    requirements: Best Regards

  4. Health Topics

    Very good and informative article. We also try to spread this kind of information and awareness for public, and when people are doing this-its simply a great contribution !. Aster CMI Hospital multi organ transplant unit is very happy to support you with our best possible. thanks for the article.
    http://asterbangalore.com/coe/organ-transplant.html

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An ambassador and trained facilitator under Eco Femme (a social enterprise working towards menstrual health in south India), Sanjina is also an active member of the MHM Collective- India and Menstrual Health Alliance- India. She has conducted Menstrual Health sessions in multiple government schools adopted by Rotary District 3240 as part of their WinS project in rural Bengal. She has also delivered training of trainers on SRHR, gender, sexuality and Menstruation for Tomorrow’s Foundation, Vikramshila Education Resource Society, Nirdhan trust and Micro Finance, Tollygunj Women In Need, Paint It Red in Kolkata.

Now as an MH Fellow with YKA, she’s expanding her impressive scope of work further by launching a campaign to facilitate the process of ensuring better menstrual health and SRH services for women residing in correctional homes in West Bengal. The campaign will entail an independent study to take stalk of the present conditions of MHM in correctional homes across the state and use its findings to build public support and political will to take the necessary action.

Saurabh has been associated with YKA as a user and has consistently been writing on the issue MHM and its intersectionality with other issues in the society. Now as an MHM Fellow with YKA, he’s launched the Right to Period campaign, which aims to ensure proper execution of MHM guidelines in Delhi’s schools.

The long-term aim of the campaign is to develop an open culture where menstruation is not treated as a taboo. The campaign also seeks to hold the schools accountable for their responsibilities as an important component in the implementation of MHM policies by making adequate sanitation infrastructure and knowledge of MHM available in school premises.

Read more about his campaign.

Harshita is a psychologist and works to support people with mental health issues, particularly adolescents who are survivors of violence. Associated with the Azadi Foundation in UP, Harshita became an MHM Fellow with YKA, with the aim of promoting better menstrual health.

Her campaign #MeriMarzi aims to promote menstrual health and wellness, hygiene and facilities for female sex workers in UP. She says, “Knowledge about natural body processes is a very basic human right. And for individuals whose occupation is providing sexual services, it becomes even more important.”

Meri Marzi aims to ensure sensitised, non-discriminatory health workers for the needs of female sex workers in the Suraksha Clinics under the UPSACS (Uttar Pradesh State AIDS Control Society) program by creating more dialogues and garnering public support for the cause of sex workers’ menstrual rights. The campaign will also ensure interventions with sex workers to clear misconceptions around overall hygiene management to ensure that results flow both ways.

Read more about her campaign.

MH Fellow Sabna comes with significant experience working with a range of development issues. A co-founder of Project Sakhi Saheli, which aims to combat period poverty and break menstrual taboos, Sabna has, in the past, worked on the issue of menstruation in urban slums of Delhi with women and adolescent girls. She and her team also released MenstraBook, with menstrastories and organised Menstra Tlk in the Delhi School of Social Work to create more conversations on menstruation.

With YKA MHM Fellow Vineet, Sabna launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society. As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

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A student from Delhi School of Social work, Vineet is a part of Project Sakhi Saheli, an initiative by the students of Delhi school of Social Work to create awareness on Menstrual Health and combat Period Poverty. Along with MHM Action Fellow Sabna, Vineet launched Menstratalk, a campaign that aims to put an end to period poverty and smash menstrual taboos in society.

As a start, the campaign aims to begin conversations on menstrual health with five hundred adolescents and youth in Delhi through offline platforms, and through this community mobilise support to create Period Friendly Institutions out of educational institutes in the city.

Find out more about the campaign here.

A native of Bhagalpur district – Bihar, Shalini Jha believes in equal rights for all genders and wants to work for a gender-equal and just society. In the past she’s had a year-long association as a community leader with Haiyya: Organise for Action’s Health Over Stigma campaign. She’s pursuing a Master’s in Literature with Ambedkar University, Delhi and as an MHM Fellow with YKA, recently launched ‘Project अल्हड़ (Alharh)’.

She says, “Bihar is ranked the lowest in India’s SDG Index 2019 for India. Hygienic and comfortable menstruation is a basic human right and sustainable development cannot be ensured if menstruators are deprived of their basic rights.” Project अल्हड़ (Alharh) aims to create a robust sensitised community in Bhagalpur to collectively spread awareness, break the taboo, debunk myths and initiate fearless conversations around menstruation. The campaign aims to reach at least 6000 adolescent girls from government and private schools in Baghalpur district in 2020.

Read more about the campaign here.

A psychologist and co-founder of a mental health NGO called Customize Cognition, Ritika forayed into the space of menstrual health and hygiene, sexual and reproductive healthcare and rights and gender equality as an MHM Fellow with YKA. She says, “The experience of working on MHM/SRHR and gender equality has been an enriching and eye-opening experience. I have learned what’s beneath the surface of the issue, be it awareness, lack of resources or disregard for trans men, who also menstruate.”

The Transmen-ses campaign aims to tackle the issue of silence and disregard for trans men’s menstruation needs, by mobilising gender sensitive health professionals and gender neutral restrooms in Lucknow.

Read more about the campaign here.

A Computer Science engineer by education, Nitisha started her career in the corporate sector, before realising she wanted to work in the development and social justice space. Since then, she has worked with Teach For India and Care India and is from the founding batch of Indian School of Development Management (ISDM), a one of its kind organisation creating leaders for the development sector through its experiential learning post graduate program.

As a Youth Ki Awaaz Menstrual Health Fellow, Nitisha has started Let’s Talk Period, a campaign to mobilise young people to switch to sustainable period products. She says, “80 lakh women in Delhi use non-biodegradable sanitary products, generate 3000 tonnes of menstrual waste, that takes 500-800 years to decompose; which in turn contributes to the health issues of all menstruators, increased burden of waste management on the city and harmful living environment for all citizens.

Let’s Talk Period aims to change this by

Find out more about her campaign here.

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A former Assistant Secretary with the Ministry of Women and Child Development in West Bengal for three months, Lakshmi Bhavya has been championing the cause of menstrual hygiene in her district. By associating herself with the Lalana Campaign, a holistic menstrual hygiene awareness campaign which is conducted by the Anahat NGO, Lakshmi has been slowly breaking taboos when it comes to periods and menstrual hygiene.

A Gender Rights Activist working with the tribal and marginalized communities in india, Srilekha is a PhD scholar working on understanding body and sexuality among tribal girls, to fill the gaps in research around indigenous women and their stories. Srilekha has worked extensively at the grassroots level with community based organisations, through several advocacy initiatives around Gender, Mental Health, Menstrual Hygiene and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) for the indigenous in Jharkhand, over the last 6 years.

Srilekha has also contributed to sustainable livelihood projects and legal aid programs for survivors of sex trafficking. She has been conducting research based programs on maternal health, mental health, gender based violence, sex and sexuality. Her interest lies in conducting workshops for young people on life skills, feminism, gender and sexuality, trauma, resilience and interpersonal relationships.

A Guwahati-based college student pursuing her Masters in Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bidisha started the #BleedwithDignity campaign on the technology platform Change.org, demanding that the Government of Assam install
biodegradable sanitary pad vending machines in all government schools across the state. Her petition on Change.org has already gathered support from over 90000 people and continues to grow.

Bidisha was selected in Change.org’s flagship program ‘She Creates Change’ having run successful online advocacy
campaigns, which were widely recognised. Through the #BleedwithDignity campaign; she organised and celebrated World Menstrual Hygiene Day, 2019 in Guwahati, Assam by hosting a wall mural by collaborating with local organisations. The initiative was widely covered by national and local media, and the mural was later inaugurated by the event’s chief guest Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Debeswar Malakar, IAS.

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