ORGAN DONATION- THE BEST AND THE BIGGEST PHILANTHROPIC CONTRIBUTION

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ALL ABOUT ORGAN DONATION

  • “Life” is a mysterious subject that has been the central subject of discussion for ages. How life originated, what all species have inhabited earth, and how has the current state of earth shaped since eons has been an intriguing subject for thinkers and non-thinkers, scientific and non-scientific people alike.
  • Ancient scientists and philosophers propounded the theory that life was possible due to some magical element not defined and was not simply the spatial and temporal amalgamation of chemical substances which we now know is the case. These
    chemical substances include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and many other substances found in living things that  make life possible. These are the basic building blocks found in the simplest forms of life that include single-celled organisms to the most complex ones like humans, trees, and even the blue whale!
  • For long the concept that all life forms are made up of the same basic building blocks remained alien to most scientists. This was proved once there were advancements in science allowing scientists to study the basic details. Thus started the whole revolution in every aspect of biological sciences and today we are in a position where stem cells have been in use to cure diseases that previously were thought to be incurable.
  • Like all life forms, the human body is an engineering marvel with so many complex organs working intricately maintaining internal balance and helping in sustenance and survival. All these macroscopic organs are crucial to the normal functioning of the body and the failure of anyone can lead to the failure of other organs as well. This is because different organ systems work in synchronization that helps in maintaining a normal internal balance of the body with respect to changes in the external environment.
  • Modern lifestyle habits which include sedentary lifestyles with no physical activity, excessive smoking, and chronic alcohol consumption have created diseases like diabetes and hypertension. These, when coupled with obesity, put extra pressure on the functioning of vital organs of our body. Excessive smoking leads to lung problems, chronic alcohol consumption causes fatty liver which eventually progresses to liver cirrhosis and ultimately a liver failure, uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension lead to kidney and heart problems.
  • After a certain extent, the damage caused to these organs becomes irreversible, and transplanting a healthy organ replacing the damaged one remains the only option for the patient to survive and lead a healthy life. Unfortunately, the availability of healthy organs is very scarce, and obtaining the same at the right time is very difficult. In most cases, it becomes too late by the time the patient’s name appears on the list, and there are many cases where the patient has already been dead by that time. The web series named ‘Breathe’ has highlighted this sad fact beautifully where a father is forced to take the criminal route to get his son a healthy lung before he loses him.
  • Transplantation in India is legally covered under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act, passed in 1994. It provides a system where all the aspects of organ transplants including removal, storage, and transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and prevention of commercial dealings in human organs are dealt with. This act was amended in 2011.
  • The National level organization that functions as the apex center for coordinating all activities and networking for procurement and distribution of organs and tissues and maintaining a registry of organs and tissues donation and transplantation in the country is called National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO). It is an organization set up under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  • As now more and more people are getting to know the importance of the availability of organs, thanks to widespread dissemination of information through social media, there is an increased awareness among them to pledge their organs for donation after their death.
  • Common people now understand the pain that a family member has to go through when their loved one dies because of the unavailability of a healthy organ. It is very interesting to know that a person can save up to 8 lives by donating organs like the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, intestines, hands, face, tissues, bone marrow, and stem cells. A person of any age can donate organs and in case he/she is less than 18 years old, then the consent of parents or guardians is needed.
  • The year 1954 marked the start of a revolution in medicine when the first transplant was carried out. Ronald Lee Herrick donated a kidney to his identical twin. This complex surgery was undertaken by Dr. Joseph Murray which earned him a Nobel
    prize in the year 1990. Dr. Christiaan Bernard was the first surgeon to carry out heart transplantation at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
  • A newborn baby in the year 2015 became the youngest organ donor by donating kidneys to an adult with renal failure and just lived for 100 minutes while in 2016 a 107-year-old woman from Scotland became the oldest person to donate corneas after her death. A 95-year-old man from West Virginia became the oldest person to donate an internal organ by donating his liver after his death.
  • Nowadays organ transplantation has become a normal practice and a lot of hospitals in India have the license to carry out such complex transplants. In renal and liver transplants, both live and cadaveric (kidney of a dead person) transplants are
    possible. The advancements have come to a stage that renal transplant can now be done even if there is a blood group mismatch given other important criteria are met.
  • The most important organs that can be donated and are in constant demand are kidneys, heart, liver, and pancreas. The cornea is an avascular tissue of the eye and is one of the most donated tissues. Other body tissues that are donated are heart valves, cartilages, tendons, ligaments, etc. A number of movies have been made that highlight the importance of organ donation to spread awareness among common people. Every year August 13 is celebrated as World Organ donation day
    helping people understand the importance of organ donation and making them pledge to donate organs after their death.
  • Medical tourismin India is increasing exponentially and is now one of the most trusted medical destinations. Many hospitals, including single-specialty, multi-specialty, and super-specialty, have spr ung up in different cities of India, giving patients multiple options to choose from. This can sometimes lead to extreme confusion for the patients and the family to choose the right hospital and the doctor that is suited to their medical condition.
  • Medical tourism consultants in India bridge this gap because of their extensive knowledge, and in-depth study of different hospitals and doctors. MediFlam is a reputed name among medical tourism consultants in India. They have an expert in-house medical team that assists patients in making informed decisions while choosing doctors and/or hospitals that are tailored to their needs.
  • MediFlam Pvt. Ltd. is a company that offers telemedicine and medical tourism features along with the options of availing the second opinion and opting for wellness tourism. Our website provides comprehensive= information on the services that we offer. Good health is everyone’s right and we firmly believe everyone should get access to quality treatments, and we, as a company, strive to provide the best treatment to our patients at the most affordable rates.
  • India has an excellent health infrastructure and has been trusted by people worldwide. So, if you are suffering from any ailments, make a plan to come to India and we, MediFlam, will be more than happy to make your experience hassle-free, and send you back home and healthy and hale.
  • To help someone live while alive is described as a good deed but to give someone life even after death is the best gift that one human being can give to another. Philanthropic contributions can be of any form but donating an organ and saving someone’s life is no match. In this way, a part of the person still lives spreading smiles on the faces of near and dear ones!

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