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Author Topic: India: A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY  (Read 2123 times)

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Offline Clark

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India: A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
« on: November 07, 2015, 11:56:35 AM »
http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/edit/a-social-responsibility.html


A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Modi’s call for organ donation touches a chord

In his Mann ki Baat address on October 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dwelt at length on a subject that should seize public attention and attract support far more than it has done until now: Organ donation. He offered statistics that demonstrates the wide gap between the need and the availability of body organs, and praised States such as Tamil Nadu that had made worthy strides in the direction of promoting organ donation through necessary publicity and fine-tuning of processes. This is an issue that has so far remained confined either within the walls of non-Government organisations active in the area of organ donations or in dusty Government files. Over the years, there has been no real and visible thrust to promote the concept of organ donation in the country. With the Prime Minister bringing it centre-stage, it should be hoped that Government departments concerned will be energised to have a fresh look at the laws and rules that govern organ donations, and push the issue in the public domain with the same enthusiasm as has been done with schemes such as Make in India, Digital India and Swachch Bharat Abhiyan.Perhaps the Government can tie up with private houses to develop and promote content in favour of organ donation. It can also rope in more celebrities to publicise such donations. It would naturally help if the celebrities chosen have themselves committed to donate their body organs. Such publicity is especially relevant in a country such as India, where there is little awareness about donating body organs. Moreover, there are social obstacles attached. For instance, many families are of the opinion that a body is defiled once organs are taken out. They need to be explained that, while no such defilement takes place, the donation, by saving the life of a person, adds to the morality of the donor. After all, our ancient texts, be it of any religion, advise us to be of use to a fellow human. If, even after death, the person can be a life-saver for another, what better way of salvation can there be! Of course, the emotional aspect can be useful to a certain extent only. Those who wish to donate their organs need to go through a donor-friendly process. If the potential donor is made to fill dozens of forms and run around multiple agencies, it is possible that he will lose the zeal to donate. Bureaucratic procedures must be simplified.Connected to the issue is that of organ donations by one living person to another. According to some reports, 500,000 people die in the country because of the non-availability of organs; 200,000 people die of liver disease; 50,000 die from heart disease; 1,50,000 people need a kidney transplant but only 5,000 get it; and lakhs of people suffer from corneal blindness and await a transplant. In the first place, finding a donor match is a difficult exercise in the absence of meticulously maintained national records that can be available at the click of a button. While it's relatively easier for donors to give their organs to their close relatives, the organ transplant needs to be approved by Government agencies or mandated hospitals if it comes from a donor outside the immediate family circle. This often results in red-tapism and fatal delays. It's time to have a fresh look at the 1994 Transplantation of Human Organs Act.
Unrelated directed kidney donor in 2003, recipient and I both well.
620 time blood and platelet donor since 1976 and still giving!
Elected to the OPTN/UNOS Boards of Directors & Executive, Kidney Transplantation, and Ad Hoc Public Solicitation of Organ Donors Committees, 2005-2011
Proud grandpa!

 

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