It’s a sad plight to see your loved one succumb to death because of the non-availability of organs. But this is the story of the city- organ donation is scarce here. Data suggests that even if 5% of people donate organs after death then no living human being, needs to do so.
Road accidents and brain deaths
Evidence collected from 1998 data suggests that 6% of the world’s accidents on roads have been recorded in India. In 2006, the total number of accidents taking place on the road rose to almost 10%. These figures suggest that roughly the road accidents incidents touch the 90,000 figure mark annually.
Nearly 245 Indians die due to the accident and nearly 40% may be recorded as “brain dead”. If 5 -10 percent of these donated their organs then may be the living human beings wouldn’t have to do the same say the authorities. Other causes of brain death include brain tumors and sub-arachnoids’ hemorrhage.
Organ donation programme
Dr. B.S. Aulakh, a urologist based in DMCH, states that the deceased donation programme help in the promotion of kidney transplants as well as transplants of heart, liver, pancreas, and the lungs thus benefiting the whole country. Dr. Aulakh has been practicing kidney transplants for more than 20 years and he is also the President of Gift for life organ donation association (GLODAS).
To create more awareness regarding organ donation Dr Aulakh in connivance with GLODAS plans to hold nukkad plays on the streets on August 6 in different parts of the city. There are some other promotional strategies up his sleeve as well. Dr. Aulakh expressed his concern that a large number of people fight a losing battle with life and die because of unavailability of organs.
Request for organ donation
Talking about the literal figures it was noted that “In India every year there is a need of approximately 1, 75,000 kidneys, 50,000 hearts and 50,000 livers for transplantation. As against the need, only 5,000 kidney transplants in 180 centers, 400 livers in 25 centres and 10-15 hearts in very few centers are done annually.
“As many as 95 per cent kidneys and livers are from living donors. Whereas in western world above 70 per cent transplanted organs are from brain dead people. In India every 4-5 min one person dies of kidney failure,” say the experts.
Doesn’t that astonish you? We have the capability to contribute in saving the lives of people but the thought of organ donation never slips into our mind!
GLODAS has taken the baggage on its shoulders and has distributed nearly 15,000 donor cards to all those people who voluntarily want to donate their organs after their life. The GLODAS also suggests that in this way one can easily identify a person who is willing to donate the organs. Dr.Aulakh suggested that the licenses of these voluntary donors can “double up as donor cards”, the same way as it is done in the Western countries.
