MYTHS & FACTS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION

• Myth: Cannot save many lives with organ and tissue donation.
• Fact: One person with his tissues can impact the lives of 50 people and one organ donor can save up to eight lives.

• Myth: Organ failures only affect the rich.
• Fact: It is estimated that there are more than 500,000 patients in India are suffering from organ failure and are waiting for organ transplants. Each year, more than 500,000 people need lifesaving organs and 12 million need life-improving corneas, and more than 5 million need tissues (skin, bone, heart valves, tendons and ligaments).

• Myth: Organs can be donated in any form of death.
• Fact: Donation only happens only after declaration of brain death by a panel of four doctors who are not associated with organ transplant.

• Myth: There is no established system/method of organ distribution in India.
• Fact: Organs are distributed through an organ sharing registry and the distribution is done by the state government authorities based on the severity of illness, time spent on the waiting list, and blood type.

• Myth: Patients that are rich and influential will get organs easily
• Fact: Socio-economic status of a person has no influence on receiving an organ for Organs are distributed according to the guidelines mentioned above.

• Myth: My body will get disfigured after organ donation.
• Fact: Organ retrieval and harvesting are done by experienced surgeons and the donor’s body will never be disfigured and all the funeral rituals can be performed.

• Myth: Donor’s family has to bear all the expenses related to organ & tissue donation.
• Fact: Donor’s family does not bear the expenses related to organ or tissue donation.

• Myth: Does my religion support organ donation.
• Fact: All major religions (Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Hebrew and Sikhism) support donation.

• Myth: My organs will be sold for price.
• Fact: Buying and selling of organs in India is a punishable crime with jail up to 7 years.

• Myth: Success rate of organ donation is low.
• Fact: The success rate for organ transplants is gradually increasing and it is between 80 and 90 percent worldwide.