Chennai: Despite the fact that the country has come so far in terms of organ donations over the past few years, religious beliefs continue to serve as a barrier, preventing a large population from coming forward for donation.
With some religions requiring the individuals to seek the permission of religious leaders before opting for donation, the need to rope in these leaders in discussions on the same is felt as the need of the hour.
Echoing the same, Lalitha Raghuram, country director, Mohan Foundation, Chennai, said, “Gurujis and other religious leaders need to be taken into the loop for counselling. They don’t know much about organ donations. They should be encouraged to talk about such issues more often, which is the only way it would enter the DNA of public.”
Citing an example, a doctor from Uttar Pradesh said, “I had counselled a Muslim family to donate the organs of their kin who had died. After having spent time discussing the importance of donation with them, they agreed to go ahead if I succeeded in counselling their religious leader too.”
Stating that in India, everyone privately agrees for donations, but fail to do anything publicly, Dr Sunil Shroff of Mohan Foundation, said, “Politicians and the general public fear a backlash from the community. There was an instance wherein a family agreed to donate their deceased kin’s organs, as long as we refrained from making it public.”
With Islam alone divided into the Shia and the Sunni, the difference of opinions is seen as highly evident. “A fatwa has been released for the Shia community, encouraging organ donations after seeking the permission of their supreme religious leader. However, it’s very difficult among Sunnis as they have a large number of religious leaders with different opinions,” said Dr Katayoun Najafizadeh, director, Iranian Society of Organ Transplantation.
Narrating an incident which served as a challenge and a lesson, Lieutenant Colonel Sandhya, Transplant Coordinator, Army Hospital R&R, Delhi, said, “A soldier from Haryana, consented the donation of his deceased father’s organs at our hospital. However, his older sister refused, stating that she would agree only if we could ensure that the organs were transplanted into a Brahmin’s body - which was not in our hands.”
The issue of rebirth, which is predominant in North India, is another factor preventing people from donating. “I have had cases of families refusing a donation fearing that their kin would be born without that organ in his next life,” said a nephrologist from Vellore. Barely 65 percent of India’s population is convertible by an experienced nephrologist or counsellor, she added.
