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KOHIMA — Students and faculty at the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR) in Kohima demonstrated their commitment to organ donation during an awareness programme held at the college building on Wednesday.
The participants collectively pledged to donate organs and tissues for transplantation, recognising the critical shortage of such donations in the country, and to make efforts to inspire family, friends and fellow citizens to donate organs.
Director-cum-Dean Professor Dr. Soumya Chakraborty administered the pledge and emphasised the voluntary nature of organ donation. She encouraged people to engage in open discussions with family members to decide which organs they would be willing to donate.
Dr. Chakraborty shed light on the international and national context of organ donation, and said that Spain has the highest number of organ donations, followed by Croatia and Portugal.
In India, Telangana state is leading in deceased organ donation, she informed.
Dr. Longna Konyak, an assistant professor in Psychiatry, highlighted the existing fear and lack of awareness surrounding organ donation in the local community. “Our level of understanding is very low and there is no awareness that's why people are very scared to donate,” he said.
He urged medical students to play an active role in dispelling myths and promoting awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
First year MBBS students took part in the programme presenting on various topics related to organ and tissue donation and its importance. They covered aspects including blood donation, transfusion-transmitted infections, eye donation, organ donation, and living and deceased organ donation.
The students pointed out the challenges that are bound to arise regarding organ donations and tissues because of religious beliefs, traditional practices, societal attitudes, lack of awareness and infrastructure, public perception and myths.
Highlighting the process involved in organ donation, the students identified registration and consent forms as the foremost steps. This can be followed by compatibility assessment, legal and ethical considerations, organ retrieval procedures, transplantation process and then after care.
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