KNOW MORE 0N

BY JANNET KAMALA ANTHONY

WHAT IS ORGAN DONATION

It is the gift of ones body parts after death for the purpose of transplantation. Transplantation is an operation, which involves the replacement of diseased and defective organs & Tissues with healthy ones from donors. This treatment helps save lives of people. Organ and tissue donation is the ultimate humanitarian act of charity.

WHAT ARE THE ORGANS & TISSUES THAT CAN BE DONATED

The commonly transported organs are kidneys, heart, liver, lungs and pancreas while the transplantable tissues are

eyes, bone, skin and heart valves. Thus a single donor can
save the lives of a number of people.

WHEN ARE THE ORGANS & TISSUES REMOVED

Only when death has been confirmed by two registered doctors. The doctors involved with certification of death are not involved in the transplant operation at all.

PROCESS OF ORGAN DONATION

Donor who die in the hospital When someone is declared as brain dead it means that they are dead and the death certificate will be issued. Family members will be called to discuss the possibility of organ and tissue donation of the deceased. If the family agrees to donate the tissue and organs, tests will be run to make sure what is still functioning, can be transferred and free from HIV, Hepatitis and Syphilis. Donor will be left on life support until the results of the tests are out and the surgery to procure the organs can be carried out after getting consent from family members. The plug-off of the ventilation machine will be done in front of the family. The surgery will be done in the operating theatre just like live patient and will be treated with respect. Only the surgery scar will be visible. All surgery cut will be sewn carefully and perfectly. Cotton balls will be placed in the eye brackets and it will be sewn just like a normal eye surgery. For bone donation, a fake bone will be replaced in return of the donated bone so there will be no physical deformation can be seen. Procurement process is to be done in three to eight hours depending on the numbers of tissue and organ that need to be removed form the donor. After the procurement process is complete, the corpse will be return in its best condition possible to the family at the hospitals mortuary. For those who died a natural death, only tissue can be donated like the eye corneas, heart valve, bone and skin. After getting a written consent from the family, the procurement process will still take place in the surgery room just like any other live patient surgery and it will still be treated with respect. Tissue can last long without oxygen and the transplant can be done up to 12 hours for eyes cornea and 24 hours for heart valve, skin and bone after the death of the donor. For tissue donation, the family will be interviewed on donors health history and the background of donors infection risk to make sure that the donors are free from any infectious diseases. Blood tests will be conducted for this reason as well. Donor that died at home Those who died the naturally at home can only donate eyes cornea. It can be procured up to six hours after the donor has been dead. The procurement team will also ask the family members regarding the deceased medical history and background of infection risks. The eye cornea procurement process usually takes less than an hour to be completed. It will be conducted in the most respect way to the deceased and wont affect the physic of the corpse.

NUMBER OF PLEDGERS FROM 1997 TILL MAY 2012

195,921 people pledged for organ donation. 142,094 people pledged for all organs an tissues. 28,025 people pledged for organ donation in 2011

Selangor rated 40,615 which is the highest pledgers until now.

NUMBERS OF PLEDGERS AND ACTUAL DONOR ACCORDING TO SEX

NUMBERS OF PLEDGERS AND ACTUAL ACCORDING TO RACE

NUMBERS OF PLEDGERS ACCORDING TO STATES

ACTUAL NUMBER OF DONOR

WILL THE PROCESS OF ORGAN DONATION DELAY THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

Not at all. Arrangements for funeral can be made as in any case of death. Following the removal of the organs and tissues, the body will be cleaned & draped and returned to the family within the shortest possible time. Removal of organs and tissues does

not interfere with the customary funeral or burial

including open casket arrangements.

RELIGIONS ON ORGAN DONATION

January 7, 2012 New Straits Times: Organ donation in Islam encouraged

Muslims are allowed to donate their organs, according to a fatwa issued in 1970 ORGAN transplant is permissible for Muslims to save lives, said Selangor and Perak muftis.

Selangor Mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abd Wahid said myths, misconceptions and a general lack of understanding and awareness had led to an organ donation crisis among Muslims.
All major religions, including Islam, encourage organ donation, especially when it can prevent death.

There is also no requirement for the organ or tissues to be donated to someone of the same religion.

HOW CAN I BECOME A DONOR

Simply complete a donor pledge form and

forward the form to the National Transplant

Resource Center. You will receive a registration

card from the Center.

WHO CAN BE A DONOR

Anyone, young and old can sign up to be a donor. Individuals below 18 years of age will need parental/guardian consent.

REFERENCES
National Transplant Resource Centre http://www.agiftoflife.gov.my/eng/index.html http://organdonor.gov/becomingdonor/index.ht ml