Experts Say Awareness Needed on Organ Donation

According to experts the number of organ donations is much lower in the country compared to other nations. "Indians need awareness on organ donation. Nearly 140,000 brain dead cases are reported due to road accidents, out of which 80,000 can be potential organ donors. But only a few organ donations are happening," Sunil Shroff, the chairman of Mohan Foundation, an NGO promoting organ donation, said.

He was speaking at a function of Deceased Organ Donation Network and Transplant Education at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

"If 20 percent of families whose member had a brain death donate his or her organs, all requirements for organ transplantation in this country would be fulfilled," D.S. Rana, chairman, board of management and department of nephrology at the hospital, said.

He said in Britain, the rate of deceased organ donation was 17 per million and in Spain, it was 35 per million. But in India, it was just 0.8 per million, he said.

According to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, from 1995 to 2011, Tamil Nadu has performed 295 organ donations, Maharasthra 150, Andhra Pradesh 137, Delhi 64, Uttar Pradesh nine and and Chattisgarh seven.

"A person who suffers from brain death can save lives of about eight people as kidneys, lungs, heart, eyes, blood vessels, tissues, blood vessels, cartilage can be donated to needy patients. The deceased family should allow organ donation as their loved one can live even after death," Mamta Jain, who donated her son's organs after his brain death.

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Source-IANS