[SilkDrive]

Hi All,

Recently an idea struck me that organ and eye donation would be a good thing to do, but i was totally clueless on where to begin and how to begin.

I did google for a few minutes and came across a few sites related to this... but then, what's a better way to start something than first knowing the opinion of other members in one of the most elite forums in the country, eh?

So, requesting any BHPian, with some experience in this area, to please guide us through this process to get ourselves started and also influence fellow bhpians to make other lives beautiful after we/they are gone.

Please suggest reliable websites, registering in which would really bring about a difference, and also the dos and dont's about organ donation. Also please suggest proper telephone numbers that our family should contact in case of the unlikely event, since from what i hear, registering for a donor card won't do much good unless your family knows about ur intentions, and succeeds in notifying the correct authorities in the correct hour.

[SilkDrive]

If not anything else, we could at least all donate our eyes...

One third of the worlds blind population lives in india, and we need 100,000 eye donations a year, to fight corneal blindness. 8 million indians die a year and we bury or burn 16 million corneas a year.

Its about time we reacted to this misuse. Imagine the relief out terribly grieved families would get, upon hearing that not one but two lives (say in their childhoods or mid twenties) have got back their sights within 20 hours of our departure...

I am a novice in writing beautiful posts/threads, but guys please support this thread with your valuable opinions, Please support this cause !

[vivekiny2k]

In US it's a part of your driving license. When you get your license, you can opt in as an organ donor. Since 99.99% of times a driving license is used for an ID, emergency responder can easily take a decision based on that.

A national list of people waiting for transplants is maintained to fulfill the requirement. May be somebody from medical field can throw more light.

[condor]

For eye donation:
1. Immediate family members can do it.
2. Call Lion's eye hospital or any other eye hospital in your area immediately after death occurs, and they will come. The equipment they need is in a suitacse, hence they can come at any time you call them.
3. Eyes need to be removed within 6 hours of death.
4. It is ok even if you start refrigerating the body while you wait for some one to arrive.
5. Prior consent of deceased (who's eyes are being donated) is not required.


For donating the whole body, the deceased must donate it himself. The whole body cannot be donated as an after thought (as told by our physician).

[padikpanther]

About Organ Donation:

What organs can be donated after death?

Up to 25 different organs and tissues can be donated for transplantation. You can donate your heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. You can also donate eyes, blood, blood vessels and tissues such as heart valves, cardiovascular tissue, bones, bone marrow, cartilage, connective tissues, soft musculoskeletal tissue and skin.

All people can be considered as being potential organ, tissue and eye donors after death has been declared. There are no age limits on who can be an organ donor. New-borns as well as senior citizens have been organ donors. If you are younger than 18, you must have a parent's or guardian's consent. If you are 18 years or older, you can show you want to be an organ and tissue donor by signing a donor card.

Had pledged my eyes back around 8 years back, having no idea about other possible donations. Last year then entire family (mother, wifey and yours truly) registered ourselves as organ donors with the National Registry for organ donation (initiative by Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute and Times of India), but other than the congratulatory welcome email/message didn't receive anything. Was looking for a donor card which I could carry 24*7, but till date didn't receive anything as I was also looking for some information as to whom to contact for what type of organ donation when the actual situation arises.

Did some web search related to the same and could get following information though it is restricted to Pune city and to some extent Maharashtra.

For Eye Donation:

Armed Forces Medical College
Pune 411 040
Tel No. 6973290 ext. 6041/ 6141
Diwan Bahadur SK Nayampalli Eye Bank
Sasoon Hospital
Pune 411 001
Tel No. 612 8000 ext. 207

Sanjivan Hospital Eye Bank
Karve Road
Pune 411 004
Tel No. 544 0830
National Institute of Ophthalmology
1187/30, off Ghole Road
Pune 411 005.
Tel No. 553 2060/ 6324/ 6369.

Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital Eye Bank
Pune
Tel No. 402 3000.

Mahatma Gandhi Eye Hospital.
468/4, Sadashiv Peth,
Pune 411 030.
Tel No. 447 9443, 447 5722.

Jankalyan Eye Bank,
Maharshi Annasaheb Patwardhan Panchkarma Hospital
318, Narayan Peth
Pune 411 030
Tel No. 446 4287
Pune Medical Foundation,
Ruby Hall Clinic,
40, Sassoon Road,
Pune 411 001,
Tel No. 612 3391 to 97

Bhagali Hospital Eye Bank,
696/112, Gultekadi,
Pune Satara Road, Pune
Tel No. 426 1223


For Skin Donation:

Skin Bank Pune, Call 24 hour BURNS HELPLINE 020 6721 3900, 98909 55551, within 6 hours of death. (Only a thin layer of skin from thighs and back is taken, there is no disfigurement & bleeding and no matching between donor and recipient is required)


Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre - Pune
The Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre is instituted by Government of Maharashtra for equitable allocation of deceased donor (Cadaveric) organ in Pune region since 2002.

Make an Appointment
Ms. Arti Gokhale,
489 Rasta Peth,
Sardar Moodliar Road,
Pune 411011
Phone - +919890210011


In all the registered hospitals and NTORCs, all organs can be retrieved by authorised Teams.

List of Registered Member Hospitals:

http://www.ztccpune.com/#!about/cipy

[Rehaan]

This awesome ad made me think more about organ donation, and why it isn't pushed as a bigger thing in India ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeVLxcekEsw

[maddy42]

My grand aunt and uncle had their bodies and organs donated for research. On the death of the person, the hospital was notified who sent a ambulance to take the remains away. The relatives need to do it quick to save the organs.

Their hospital was the JSS mysore. RIP granny you will be missed.

Maddy

[arunphilip]

I have always wondered why we don't make organ donation "opt out", instead of opt in: the people who have their reasons for not donating organs should have to explicitly make it clear that they don't want to donate, and that can be respected.

A bit of education will also help - to show that organ harvesting does not desecrate the body, nor does it prevent an open casket funeral.

When a person dies without a will (i.e. intestate), there are specific legal provisions that allow for inheritance to happen. Likewise, it would be good if similar guidelines can be framed for organ donation.

There will be practical challenges in successfully harvesting all organs from all eligible people, and that will not go away with this approach. However, this will definitely help those many instances where people pass away in hospitals but their organs could not be used.

[nowwhat?]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

This awesome ad made me think more about organ donation, and why it isn't pushed as a bigger thing in India ....

Originally Posted by arunphilip

I have always wondered why we don't make organ donation "opt out", instead of opt in: the people who have their reasons for not donating organs should have to explicitly make it clear that they don't want to donate, and that can be respected.

Maybe the answer lies in the ad itself.

According to this blog -> The Reluctant Organ Donor, 38% of licensed drivers in the US sign up to be organ donors (The blog actually laments that this number is too low, I wonder what the statistics for India are). It is a simple matter of ticking a box in your driver's license application, first responders at the scene are then able to quickly decide what to do based on the DL record.

[Eddy]

We recently had a session on organ donation at our workplace. In a nutshell, there are two options:

1- If you end up brain dead in a hospital that has the license & capability of organ donation, they will approach your family for consent.
: Brain dead = dead. There is no coming back. The brain starts liquifying post brain death.
: A series of tests is conducted before declaring a patient brain dead. They are repeated after 6 hours if the family consents for donation.
: As soon as the family says yes, the hospital billing for that family stops. All further bills to keep the patient on ventilator and harvesting is borne by the hospital.
: After harvesting, you get back the body stitched up properly for the cremation etc to take place.

2- If you end up dying a regular death, you can have your body donated for medical research along with an eye donation.

Go for it guys, "acchha lagta hai" (to borrow the blood donation tagline)


PS: In countries like France / Italy, organ donation is applicable by default. You have to specifically opt out in case you do not want the organs to be donated.

[Octane_Power]

I definitely want to sign up for organ donation (if there is any such 'signing-up' procedure), however, I am not sure how it works.

I mean, if a person staying in XYZ city dies in ABC city, how do people know that the person was willing to donate his/her organs. So does that mean that the only way is informing your family members/close relatives/friends about your post-death wish?

Because like Vivek said, here in US it is very easy to know by looking at a person's driver's license (assuming he has one) to know if he wants to be a donor. What about India?

-Bhargav

[centaur]

I think in India its about the stigma associated with it in the sense that many people believe that the bodies are mutilated when the organs are removed. It's more of an uneducated behaviour than an informed decision to opt out of organ donation. IMHO, every year, people from hospitals should visit schools/colleges and educate students on why organ donation is important and the fact that (touchwood) in the worst case scenario if someone from their family/extended family needs some transplant, these organs will be be the saviour

Originally Posted by padikpanther

Was looking for a donor card which I could carry 24*7, but till date didn't receive anything as I was also looking for some information as to whom to contact for what type of organ donation when the actual situation arises.

Armed Forces Medical College
Pune 411 040
Tel No. 6973290 ext. 6041/ 6141

Another reason why organ donation isnt the successful. When people dont know that someone has pledged the organs and whom to contact then most likely the organs dont get harvested. Adding to this, IIRC in case of a normal death, the organs need to be harvested within a stipulated time period else they and not usable for transplants

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by Octane_Power

I mean, if a person staying in XYZ city dies in ABC city, how do people know that the person was willing to donate his/her organs. So does that mean that the only way is informing your family members/close relatives/friends about your post-death wish?

Hi Bhargav, even if you have registered for organ donation your family has the final say in giving the go ahead. So yes, it's imperative that you talk and convince your family in happier times.

Guys - the probability of us becoming an organ donor is EXTREMELY LESS. (Being brain dead at a certified hospital).

But you can ensure that you donate your body for research coz that can be done under all circustances. However, this is a much tougher thing for the family to do considering that they do not get the body back for cremation / burial.