Pune - Now, donor labels on driving licences

PUNE: After Mumbai, the PuneRTO will be the second in the state to issue a driving licence with an 'organ donor label' affixed on top to encourage cadaver organ donations.

The state public health department and the state department of transport will implement the programme jointly with assistance from 'Gift Your Organ' Foundation, an NGO which runs a similar campaign in Karnataka.

The aim is to facilitate voluntary cadaver organ donation in the state which has been abysmally poor since the Transplantation of Human Organs Act was passed in 1994. Needy patients suffer long delays that sometimes results in death. The city's cadaver donation count in the last eight years stands at less than 50 kidneys and three livers.

"All preparations vis-a-vis printing of pledge forms, organ donation stickers, booklets, and posters promoting the cause are done. The campaign will be launched at the RTO office in Pune in the next few days. The first leg of the campaign kicked off at the Tardeo RTO office in Mumbai a few days ago. Pune is next in line with the campaign likely to be launched soon. The aim is to create awareness, motivate people to volunteer for the organ donation cause and take the campaign across the state," said Suresh Tambe, deputy director of the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Bureau at the state public health department.

Sameer Dua, founder of the NGO, who is based in Pune, said anyone applying for a new licence or renewal would be encouraged to sign up for organ donation. "If they agree, an "organ donor" sticker will be pasted on the licence," Dua said.

Every individual who comes to the RTO officer for driving licence test will be given a booklet explaining the need for donation. They will also be given a pledge form. If the person agrees then before the license is dispatched 'I am an organ donor' sticker will be pasted on the licence.

"If the person is ready, then he will have to fill up a pledge form which will require his/her signature and other related details along with signature of two witnesses. The person who has pledged is also expected to inform his immediate relatives about his/her decision," Tambe said.

Recently, Governor K Sankaranarayanan wrote to vice-chancellors of various universities asking them to enable volunteer students to display organ donor stickers on their identity cards. Public health officials said the decision to register as a donor is entirely up to students.

Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had earlier admitted to the problem of organ shortage. "It is paradoxical that a country like ours with a billion plus population should have acute shortage of organs for transplantation," he had said.

Every year, the country has over two lakh people who need organs. India, at present, has a deceased donation rate of 0.05 to 0.08 per million people and lags far behind the US, where the cadaver donation rate has reached 25 per million people in 2010, according to statistics from the Council of Europe.

Who can donate

There is no limitation of age or gender. A doctor assesses the medical suitability in each situation and retrieves only those organs which can be transplanted

Pledges under the age of 18 require the consent of the donor's parent or legal guardian. However, it is not possible to make an organ donation if you are HIV/AIDS positive, have any type of cancer, bacterial or blood related disease

All major religions support organ donation since it is an act of generosity towards saving another human's life.
How it works

It is important to register your decision as an organ donor because in the event of brain death, the transplant coordinators will refer the database to know if you are an organ donor and accordingly communicate your wish to your family for their consent

Only if the death occurs on a ventilator, regardless of brain death or cardiac death, the pledge card will indicate your intentions. The doctors will then approach your family for their consent

In the case of brain death or cardiac death on a ventilator without registration, your family members can donate your organs. For this, they need to sign a consent form which will be provided at that time by the hospital

In case of death at home, the family should contact the nearest eye bank so that the necessary logistics for the eye or tissue donation can be organised

In either case, the organs are retrieved only after receiving the family's consent. The process can take between 3 hours and 9 hours.

There is no cost borne by the donor or his/her family

The hospital takes care of all the logistics and details as the transplant coordination team carries out the entire process till the relatives receive the body of the deceased

The deceased person's body is given back to the family in a dignified way. There is no disfigurement. The body can be viewed as in any case of death and funeral arrangements need not be delayed or changed

Source: http://to.ly/mckS