Organ Donation:The Gift of Life

Pallavi Kumar,MOHAN Foundation

Why donate organs?

You give but little when you give of your possessions.It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. 

~Kahlil Gibran

“An organ wasted is a life lost”

• Over 1 million patients suffer with end-stage organ failure

• But only around 3,500 organ transplants are performed annually

• At least 10 patients die every day while on waiting list for organs

• Every ten minutes, a new name is added to the waiting list

Who can donate

• Anyone, at any age• Living Donor (Kidneys/Liver)

– Immediate blood relative– Unrelated– Donor consent

• Deceased Donor (most organs)– Brain dead– Consent from relatives– No monetary benefit

Brain Death

• Severe, irreversible injury to the brain

• All areas of brain damaged and all activities stop

• Person can’t sustain life on own, even though vital body functions may be maintained artificially

Establishing brain death

• Strict guidelines laid down by law

• Certified by team of four doctors not connected with the transplant

• Tests done at least twice• Only in institutions with appropriate license

Common causes of brain death

• Road traffic accidents• Stroke• Brain hemorrhage• Brain tumor

India’s organ needs can be met

• > 1.4 lakh people die in road accidents every year (65% brain injuries)

• 95,000 potential organs• A donation rate of just 3-5 per million would meet all of India’s present organ needs! (current: 0.08)

3-5 per million is very achievable

Spain

France

USA

Austria

Italy

Germany

Argentina

Tamil Nadu

India

34

25

24

23

20

16

12

1.5

0.08

Donation Rates per million population

Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994

• Legalised the concept of brain death thereby facilitating organ procurement from heart beating, brain dead donors

• Aimed at stopping commercial dealing of organs, especially kidneys

• Defined donor types – live/related, live/unrelated and cadaver

Veins & Arteries

Heart ValvesCartilage

Eyes (Cornea)

Bone MarrowSkin & Fascia

Which organs can be donated?

NATURAL DEATH

Bones & Tendons

Middle-ear Bones

Intestines

Heart

KidneysPancreas

Liver

Eyes (Cornea)

Lungs

Bone MarrowSkin

Which organs can be donated?

BRAIN DEATH

Larynx

Eye Donation can even be done at home

• Keep eyes moist & eye-lids closed

• Switch off fans

• Keep head slightly raised

• Contact nearest Eye Bank

Only cornea is removed

Role of MOHAN Foundation

• Create public awareness on deceased organ donation

• Create linkages with hospitals so we are notified in case of“brain death”

• Train Transplant Coordinators to counsel donor’s family and encourage organ donation

• Liaise with government in passing favourable legislations

The MOHAN Foundation impact

• Chennai (Rajiv Gandhi Govt General Hospital):– Over 70% success rate (53/81)– 217 organs/tissues retrieved since Feb 2010

• Hyderabad:– 723 organs since 2002

The MOHAN Foundation impact

• 70% of deceased donations in India due to MOHAN Counseling of families

• TN donation rate pushed to 1.5 per million population

• In AP from 0 to 0.5 per million

• 260 transplant coordinators trained in the last 3 years (requirement over 1500)

What you can do

• Pledge your organs• Always carry your Donor Card• Convey your decision to your family members

MYTH: If the family agrees to donation, doctors will not try hard to

save the patientFACT: • When you go to a hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life – not somebody else’s.

• The Option to donate organs is offered only after the person is medically declared dead.

• The doctor in charge of your care has nothing to do with transplantation.

MYTH: Donors family will have to pay more money to

the hospital

FACT: After declaration of death, the hospital bears all expenses of artificially supporting the donor.

MYTH: What if I recover from brain death?

FACT: • It is impossible to recover from brain death - it is not the same as coma

• In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation have additional tests (at no cost to the family) to determine that they are truly brain dead

MYTH: If I donate organs, I will be born without them in

next birth

FACT: • Organs are destroyed anyway when you are cremated

• The physical body does not survive death, so the organs hold no relevance even if you believe in rebirth 

MYTH: Religions forbid organ donation and transplantation

FACT: • All major faiths support organ donation as a humanitarian act

• Prominent religious leaders have also endorsed

MYTH: Organ donation mutilates the body

FACT: • Donated organs are removed surgically, which doesn't disfigure the body

• Also since the donor’s body is clothed for cremation, there are no visible signs of donation

Thank you