Mankind's best gift :: Organ Donation day

Samarjit Kambam *

Gifts come in many forms ranging from inanimate objects to living creatures. Gifts may be small, big , cheap, costly and comes in various forms viz eatable items like chocolates, electronic items, electrical appliances, flowers, pets such as dog, cat, chameleon such as Gecko or other big animals such as horse, cow, elephant, python etc. Since time immemorial this practice of giving of gift by one human being to another has been going on.

Most gifts are usually given with the intention of giving a surprise followed by a thrill or happiness by the recipient. But there are some abstract forms or entity such as the human mind which cannot be given as gifts otherwise we might have a dissimilar looking second or third Albert Einstein provided it was possible and Einstein himself was willing. But, there is one kind of gift which can be considered as the best gift of mankind i.e. the human organ(s).

The Organ Donation day was observed throughout the world on 6th August. In our nation i.e. India many social organizations, NGOs, medical students and overwhelming numbers of people came out to support and embrace the cause. Even Bollywood actors viz Poonam Dhillon, Vivek Oberoi and many celebrities and took part in the campaign to create awareness for organ donation. Courtesy to the Times of India group partnered by Maruti Suzuki India for including this theme in their initiative campaign 'I Lead India'.

India is the headquarter of diabetes, renal failure, heart attacks, cardiac arrest, strokes, etc. Many people in India are living life like a living hell due to organ failures. Millions of men, women and children die every year waiting for transplantation of life-saving organs. When it comes to population, India is the second largest populated country in the world but when it comes down to organ donors India scores abysmally low compared to other countries such as Unites States having the largest number of organ donors followed by Spain.

Modem technology has made it possible to transplant organs like heart, kidney, cornea, lung and liver from one human to another thereby saving lives as well as enhancing the quality of life of patients who suffer from organ damage. When a person dies a normal death, the cornea can be stored for transplantation within two weeks of death of the individual, 24 hours for kidney, 12 hours for liver and pancreas, 3 hours for the heart and skin, 10 years for heart valve, 5 years for middle ear skin/bone marrow etc.

In India lack of awareness due to deeply embedded social and religious customs are the factors for this poor show in the area of organ donation. Now, the Transplantation of Human Organs Act and Rules has been included in the Indian Constitution as amended from time to time and recognizes the concept of brain death and gives legal sanction for diagnosis of brain death and deceased organ donation which is legally quite a welcome development. But organ donation cannot be carried out just at the whim of the donor. It involves legal procedures as well as approval by family members with related authorities.

One trendsetting living example of organ donation in India is actress Aishwarya Rai who has signed the agreement with concerned authorities that her sea-green looking beautiful eyes be donated to the needy after her expiry. It's a lesson all of us should learn which is a selfless act of sacrifice. In organ donation, the deceased or dead organ donor may be forgotten but will remain alive to the recipient as long as the recipient lives. That's the way of life.

Eveybody in this world is bom as a human for a purpose. Organ donation serve one of the many purposes and makes life Worth living. Some are audacious enough to donate organs while they are still alive.

In Manipur also, some years ago, a dead person whose name and address I cannot exactly recall was carried away by RIMS authorities when his dead body was about to be cremated. There was nothing the grieving family could do because the authorities showed the 'Will Statement" and relevant legal documents carried out while he was alive that his body be donated to Science and his organs be transplanted to the ones who are most in need. Such selfless sacrifice and the bold decision he had made is really laudable.

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Inc., underwent a liver transplant which gave him a precious two more years before cancer eventually caught up with him. Thanks to the anonymous donor for giving two more precious years to one of the world's most creative minds thereby giving him ample opportunity to contribute new generations of Apple's series of world famous digital delicacies.

But a fearsome reality is, even though India's official record for organ donation is dismally low, some huge rackets or syndicates are going on clandestinely which is purely against the ambit of law. Such anti-socials lure the poor people with money, thereby taking their chances and even goes upto the extent of abduction of people where organs are taken out as this evil illegal practice is highly profitable.

Such big rackets and syndicates should be nipped at the bud by the law enforcing agencies and severe exemplary punishments be meted. There have been numerous cases of 'disappearances' which are the handiwork of such 'animals' among people. To them money and profit far exceeds the human life, human values, love and compassion.

Some of my dear readers may be having mental battles by asking to themselves whether the writer of this article has done anything good for the society and the people at large and what authority he has to be a campaigner of awareness of organ donation. Well, I am just a lousy person who is just voicing my opinion. And any kind of opinion has got plenty of room for criticism which I will be more than happy to accept. I haven't got the monetary resources to help others in need.

But honestly speaking my mind is blended more towards the philanthropic side. I enjoy giving and helping other at the best of my capacity as such acts give me a sense of happiness, worthiness and fulfillness. I also have already pledged to donate my body to Science and give a new lease of life to another individual who are in dire need after my last breath and fortunately my family members have also approved the decision that I have taken, only the legal proceedings are required to be completed because I don't want my body to be wasted to ashes after being cremated.

I want my body to be used for a good purpose which will be a big contribution to the society. Let me note down an inspirational quote of Winston Churchill, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give".