The Philippines and Organ Donation

One of the main reasons research show is that Filipino's don't know exactly about what they need to do in order to become one. Perhaps the word ‘registration' to an average Filipino is equivalent to long queue's, pages and pages of forms to fill out answering questions they don't understand, in short, a waste of time.

What they don't know is that the most important way of ‘registering' to become an organ donor is to talk about it with ones friends and family. In that small way, an individual would already have registered his or her wishes to people whom he knows will carry out what he wants if and when the individual will pass away. It is most advisable as well that a person who has decided to donate his organs when he dies, is to discuss this decision with the person who will have the final say. For example if you were single and you have decided to donate your organs when the time comes, you would communicate your decision to your parents. Or, if you were a husband who has come to such a decision as well, you would tell your wife.

Yes, there are forms to fill out and an organ donor card that can be issued to a person once a decision like this has been made but as was stated earlier, a persons' talking this kind of choice over with family and friends already ensures that his or her wishes be carried. The forms are merely for formality and also for certain situations where in other people need to know as well. A common example of this is when an individual meets an accident and dies as a result and there is no one available to let the medical people know of the said individuals wishes and by the time the family is able to communicate with the medical people, it is already to late for the organs to be harvested.

In principle, contrary to most peoples' common notion those only organs such as the heart, liver, kidneys and eyes are what they can donate and can be transplanted. This notion is actually not entirely true as facts said that currently, transplanted human tissues include bone, corneas, skin, heart valves, veins, cartilage and other connective tissues. Tissues such as these can be used to treat patients suffering from congenital defects, blindness, visual impairment, trauma, burns, dental defects, arthritis, cancer, vascular and heart disease. In addition, many heart valves are used to treat children with congenital defects of their own heart valves.

The medical world categorizes organ donors into two types. The first type is what they call the living-related donor, the second the cadaver donor. The living-related donor is just what the title states, this would be a person who is related to the patient and is willing to donate one of his or her organs. Let us stress that the act of organ donation is without any danger to the donor's life and will not cause any alteration to the donors physical activities. Now for a living-related organ donation, not all organs cited above can be donated. The only organs that can be donated by a living-related donor will be one kidney, bone marrow, and a part of the liver. Obviously a living related donor cannot donate his corneas nor his heart because that goes against the rule that organ donation should not cause any danger to the donor's life and should not cause any alteration to his physical activities.

The cadaver donor has suffered injury by trauma or disease to the brain, destroying brain functions. Before an individual can become a cadaver donor, he or she has to be certified as brain dead. For some countries, here in the Philippines, it would take the certification of a neurologist or neurosurgeon supported by imaging studies like X-rays, CT scans, MRI's and ECG's. If the donor has been tagged as brain dead, organs that can be harvested which include kidneys, the liver, bone marrow, long bones, corneas, pancreas, lungs and the heart are then collected with after a signed consent of the nearest-of-kin, or if declared in the donors last will and testament. Some countries though, like Singapore, Spain and Denmark, their system decrees that that unless the donor has previously indicated his refusal to donate, his organs can be harvested.

Filipinos are known for their deep family ties and religious devotion, not to mention for their superstitious and traditional beliefs. These and misinformation about organ donation are the biggest reasons why cadaver harvests are grimly low. Some of the seriously damaging myths borne from misinformation are that potential donors believe that their bodies will be mutilated when the organs are harvested. The fact of the matter is donated organs are surgically removed in a routine operation similar to appendix removal making normal funeral arrangements possible. Of course when a donor decides to donate, let it also be known that a declaration of this intent doesn't mean that all possible organs will be harvested, a donor has the right to specify which particular organ to donate. It is also in this country where you will here someone say "I can't donate blood, my religion forbids it." What more if one would suggest to this type of person about donating a body organ?