Cord

An Overview

Campaign on Organ Donation (CORD) is a unique initiative by Saroj Super Speciality Hospital in association with two of the most prominent not-for–profit organisations, MOHAN Foundation and ORGAN India whose objective is to substantially raise awareness on organ donation in India.

In India, every year, over 500,000 people die because of non-availability of organs, over 200,000 die of liver disease and around 150,000 people await a kidney transplant of which only 5,000 get one. The organ donation rate of 0.34 per million in India is amongst the lowest in the world. As per the statistics produced by WHO, every year, only 0.01 percent of the population in India donate their organs after death whereas in western countries around 70-80 percent people pledge their organs.

Looking at the grim scenario of organ donation, it has become a need of the hour to raise awareness on the very issue so as to save lives of all those people dying because of ignorance, misconception and backward thinking of few of those defiant to organ donation in India.

It is therefore high time for us to make organ donation a reality to common man and pass on the precious gift the nature has given us –life.

cord-overview

Organ Donation

What is organ donation?

Organ donation is the process of removing tissue/s or organ/s biologically from a live, or a deceased person to be harvested in another person who is in need of a transplant. The former is the donor and the latter is the recipient. People of all ages can become organ donors.

Organ donation is the process of removing tissue/s or organ/s biologically from a live, or a deceased person to be harvested in another person who is in need of a transplant. The former is the donor and the latter is the recipient. People of all ages can become organ donors.

Organ donation is the only positive aspect that comes out of the extreme loss.

With the movement, I PLEDGE – to give a new lease of life by donating an organ, Saroj Super Speciality hospital endeavours to bring a shift in the attitude of people to help save a million lives.

What are the different types of organ donation?

Live Donor – When a living and a medically compatible donordonates his/her organ/s to a recipient in need of organ transplant, this type of organ donation is termed Living Donor.

Living donors are usually related to the person who requires a transplant like parents, siblings, children, spouse, close friends, grandparents, and grandchildren. The donor needs to go through strict medical testing and meet a certain criteria before the transplant takes place.

Deceased Donor – It can only take place when organs from a person who has died a brain death are transplanted into the bodies of living recipients in need of transplant.

What is Brain Death or Brain Stem Death?

Brain death occurs in patients who have suffered a severe injury to the brain as a result of trauma or some other medical cause. As a result of the injury, the brain swells and obstructs its own blood supply. Without blood flow, all brain tissues die.

How does deceased organ donation takes place?

When an individual is declared brain dead, an artificial support keeps the body supplied with oxygen which enables the heart to continue to beat and circulate blood on temporary basis for maintaining blood supply to vital organs long enough for organ donation to take place. Once the ventilator is turned off, the heart will stop beating within a few minutes.

Patients declared as brain dead can have their organs surgically removed for organ donation or transplant.

Which organs and tissues can be donated?

Vital organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas can be donated only in case of 'brain death'. However other tissues like corneas, heart valves, skin, bones etc. can be donated only in case of natural death.

It is becoming more common to donate organs or a part of an organ while living. Kidneys are the most common organs donated by living donors whereas Liver also has the quality to regenerate itself with time.

Other organs that can be donated by a living donor include a lobe of a lung, portion of liver, pancreas or intestine.

Myths & Facts on Organ Donation

Myth - There is recovery from Brain Death

Fact – It is impossible to recover from brain death. It is not coma.

Coma is when there is lower brain activity and it is reversable at times whereas Brain death is zero activity in the brain. It is death of higher Brain functions and is irreversible.

Myth - If the family agrees for organ donation, doctors will not try hard to save the patient’s life who has agreed to donate his/her organs

Fact – Organ donor status makes no difference. Doctors work equally hard to save each and every life. The option to donate organs only arises once the patient is declared brain dead. The doctor saving the donor’s life has nothing to do with transplantation.

Myth - If I donate my organs, I will be born without them in the next birth

Fact – Once a human body is cremated or buried, organs anyway get destroyed. It holds no relevance to let the organs get wasted, rather than not gifting them to save another life. Nobody can take their organs to heaven; heaven knows we need them here, to serve the humanity. There is no bigger donation than giving someone a new lease of life by donating an organ.

Myth - Religion forbids organ donation

Fact – All religions support organ donation as a highly noble cause. All prominent religious leaders support organ donation.

Myth - My body will look distorted if I donate organs

Fact – Any or all organs are surgically removed by making an incision from top of the chest to naval which doesn’t disfigure your body.

Myth - Once I become an organ donor, I can never change my mind

Fact – You are free to change your mind anytime. You can withdraw your registration and tear your donor card. You can also inform your family about your change of mind as they are the ones who take the ultimate decision of organ donation.

Myth - The donor’s family will have to pay more to the hospital

Fact – Once the brain death is declared and the donor’s family has decided to donate the organs, the hospital bears all the expenses to support the donor’s family.