The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Focus on organ donation

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Friday, Jan 09, 2009
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Kerala - Kochi

Focus on organ donation

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: An organ can be transplanted only when it is donated. This was the emphasis when the programme titled Jeevanraksha was inaugurated here on Tuesday. There are a number of patients who are in need of transplants, but, there is hardly any organ that comes for transplantation.

It is not enough that a person pledges to donate organs. The family of the person must be aware of his decision. Since only a brain-dead person’s organs can be harvested, the family of the person should be aware of the noble will of the person.

Usually, the family is in the dark about such pledges by a person and it would not be the proper time to approach them.

This was the case with eye donation too, said noted eye surgeon Tony Fernandes. “When I started the eye bank programme 40 years ago at Angamaly, there were many who dissuaded me. At the time we had to wait for eyes to come from Sri Lanka and many a time they were not in good condition. But, now we have a collection of nearly 800 eyes and we have enough to give some to other hospitals too.”

Dr. Fernandes, a Padmashree awardee for his contributions to eye care, believes that a data bank should be created to know who wants to donate organs. But that is not enough, there should be coordination between hospitals too, he said while inaugurating the programme.

Voluntary organisations can help create awareness, and those in the medical profession need to consciously make it known to all those they meet daily about organ donation, which would be of immense help to a lot of people.

Though the Society for Retrieval and Transplantation of organs, a technical body that certifies legality of organ donation, was formed about eight years ago, due to lack of awareness, not many has come forward to donate organs.

Despite carrying out a number of awareness programmes, blood donation continues to struggle with only 15 per cent of the population donating blood, said Joby Thomas, co-ordinator of Jeevanraksha. Voluntary donation is low among the public.

The programme was a coming together of a number of organisations like the National Service Scheme, National Cadet Corps and Pain and Palliative Care units and individuals.

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