Five things to keep in mind when considering organ donation

Organ donation is the most wonderful and selfless act. While most people would wholeheartedly agree with this statement, many need to be made aware of how and when organ donations can take place or what they can do as individuals to help the cause. Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering organ donation.

• Living Donation: This is when a living person donates one of their organs to another person who needs it. In India, this is done for one kidney or a part of a liver. Most transplants in India are Living donations. Under the Transplantation of Human Organs & Tissues Act (THOTA) 1994, this is only allowed from a near relative to another. Unrelated people would need special permission from an Authorization Committee to donate. This has been done to prevent organ trading between two unrelated individuals.

• Deceased organ donation: This is organ donation from a person who has been declared brain-dead. Organ donation cannot happen after any kind of death. A person must be declared brain-dead by a team of authorized doctors at a hospital for their organs to be donated. If one person donates their vital organs, they can save up to 8 lives! The heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lungs, and intestines can all be donated if the organs are healthy. A brain death or brain stem death results from a severe irreversible injury to the brain. A person is said to be brain-dead when there is an irreversible loss of consciousness, absence of brain stem reflexes and no spontaneous respiration. Under the THOTA Act of 1994, brain death is recognized as a form of death. This happens when those with injuries reach the hospital and receive crucial life support, but because of the severity of the injury, the brain ceases to function, and they are declared brain dead. But since they are on life support and still breathing (artificially), circulation to vital organs is maintained for a short period. Therefore, the organs are still alive and functioning and can be donated.

• Family acceptance: Often, this isn't easy for the family. They can see the deceased breathing artificially, which makes them question if they are dead. More awareness of brain death will reduce this confusion in their minds. (To know more about Brain Death, follow this link and watch the short and easy-to-understand film What is Brain Death? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYZ7QSX6UQc

• Family consent: There is no organ donation without family consent. Organ donations require consent from the potential donor or the donor's family. In India, according to the THOTA Act 1994, the next of kin of the patient will decide whether to donate their organs. For any family faced with a tragic death, making decisions, especially when they are not familiar with the concept of organ donation and Brain Death, is very difficult. Therefore, you must inform your family if you want to be an organ donor.

• Allocation of organs: Organs from deceased donors are matched with different recipients' blood groups and sizes who are waitlisted on the hospital and government registries and transplanted into them to save their lives. This allocation process is transparent and is handled by government nodal agencies in each state and by the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) at a central level. It is estimated that over five Lakh people need an organ transplant every year, and barely five per cent receive one. Each one of us can change that with one small decision. Log on to www.organindia.org to read about the organ donation process and pledge your organs. And remember to tell your family about your excellent and noble decision!