Dignitaries take pledge to donate their organs

Only 50 persons in India have voluntarily come forward since 1994

But being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver. So when the City’s who’s who lined up at the Vidhan Soudha on Sunday to pledge their  organs, it was not just an act of generosity.

It was a small step towards a bigger goal, especially because only 50 persons in the country have voluntarily pledged their organs since 1994. “Hundreds of thousands of patients in the country need different organs to lead a normal life. Hence, cadaver donation should be promoted,” stressed Dr Nagaraj of NIMHANS. Speaking at a walkathon organised by the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) to promote cadaver donation here on Sunday, Dr Nagaraj said his six persons recently donated their organs and such an act would help 15 patients at NIMHANS where a cadaver donation cell turned operational recently.

Members of the judiciary, senior police officers, state health department officials, technocrats, sportspersons and those from the entertainment industry took part in the walkathon and pledged to donate their organs before vowing to develop the act into a larger people’s movement. Director General and Inspector General of Police Dr Ajai Kumar Singh was present at the occasion. The walkathon, which was flagged off at the State Legislative Assembly, ended at the Kanteevara stadium.

Karnataka Lokayukta justice N Santosh Hegde noted that cadaver donation should have become a movement two decades ago. “Some loopholes in the system prevented people from becoming cadaver donors. Thousands of lives can be saved and many lives extended,” he observed.

While Justice Santosh Hegde pledged to donate his eyes to Narayan Netralaya, justices Manjunath, Gopal Gowda and other dignitaries also pledged their organs.

High Court justice Gopal Gowda said a large section of the society was unaware of the importance of cadaver donation. “We need to bring about a change in people’s mindset. The State Legal Services Authority will join hands with the KOA in encouraging people to become cadaver donors. It should become a people’s movement and like-minded organisations should be brought under one umbrella,” he suggested.


Transplantation of Human Organs Act

The Act was introduced in 1994 to help organ donation and prevent commercial dealings. The number of cadaver donors are very less. A single brain dead person can give life to at least 9 persons. According to an estimation, around 8 crore patients need different transplantation. Between 20 to 30 people out of every million may become potential donors. In Bangalore alone, around 2000 patients are with life support of dialysis. Everyone aged between 5 to 65 can become cadaver donor.