Today, August 13th is observed as World Organ Donation Day every year to raise awareness about the importance of donating organs. It is a day that encourages everyone to pledge to donate their organs. Organ Donation is not only encouraged by international bodies but the Government of India too encourages it. November 27 is observed as Indian Organ Donation Day. 

Organ donation is an incredible feat as it allows one person to help save up to 8 lives. This feat was first achieved in 1954, where Ronald Lee Herrick donated his kidney to his twin brother. Years later in 1990, the doctor in charge of the procedure, Joseph Murray received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work in organ transplantation. 

Why Organ Donation is Important in India? 

Organ donation is the need of the hour. Over 5 lakh Indian die every year because of the unavailability of organs. The World Health Organization estimates that only 0.01% Indians donate their organs. An Indian government survey claims that every year 2 lakh Indians die due to liver disease and 50,000 die due to heart disease. These deaths could be avoided if there was an availability of donated organs. An additional 1.5 lakh Indians require a kidney for transplant but a mere 5000 have a chance of getting one because of the shortage. 

Which Organs can be donated?

The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue Act regulates the rules of organ transplantation in India. This law permits both living and deceased persons to donate their organs. One criteria stands is that the person donating should not suffer from serious medical diseases like HIV, cancer, heart disease, or lung disease.

A person alive can perform organ donation (or live donation) by volunteering to donate a kidney, a lung, and some parts of a liver. A human being can survive with one kidney missing along with a part of the liver known as the lung lobe and the liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself. 

The other type of donation is when the person is declared brain dead. Organ donation of this form is called Cadaver Donation. In this, a person can donate - Heart, 2 Kidneys, 2 Lungs, Pancreas, Intestines, Liver, and more. It also includes tissues like the cornea, skin, blood vessels, heart valves, and more. 

How to become an Organ Donor?

A volunteer of organ donation should register on GOI’s website National Organ and Tissue Transplantation website. Or one can fill out the form provided by the Organ Retrieval Banking Organization. Once registered the person will receive an acknowledgment card or Donor Card. The other way is when the deceased person’s family consent to the organ harvesting. After a written consent for the same, the ORBO team will remove the organs and give back the body in a dignified manner back to the family. The ORBO team promises that no extra burden will come on the family and no delay in the funeral will happen from their end. 

For more information, visit https://orbo.org.in/. Or call Toll free No. 1800-11-4770