A big majority of Indians are supportive of a law that could encourage and incentivise organ donations in the country. This was revealed during a nationwide survey conducted by CVoter on behalf of Dadhichi Deh Daan Samiti to gauge public opinion on the issue.
Close to 48 per cent of the informed respondents categorically said they are in favour of a law to register all Indians for voluntary organ donations. Another 38.3 pee cent of the informed respondents stated they would consider the matter seriously while just about 13 per cent said they were totally opposed to such a law being passed by the Parliament.
According to reports made available by various civil society groups and the media, close to 500,000 Indians die every year because they fail to obtain a donated organ. The Dadhichi Deh Daan Samiti is deeply committed to promoting organ donations as a movement and is adopting a multi disciplinary strategy to spread awareness about this most noble of causes. India already ranks number three in the world when it comes to organ donations.
As revealed by the CVoter survey, it is not prejudice or superstitions that prevent citizens from considering organ donation as an option. It is the lack of credible information and ignorance over the issue.
More than 85 per cent of respondents in the survey clearly stated that they did not know about donating organs like kidneys, liver, heart, lungs and eyes. There is thus an urgent need for the government, civil society groups and concerned citizens to come together and spread the message of organ donation that saves a precious life every time.
Targeted campaigns work wonders because the CVoter survey also revealed that more than 50 per cent of informed respondents were well aware of eye donations. That is because a concerted effort has been made to use high profile celebrities and influencers to promote eye donations. Similar campaigns could be successfully used to promote organ donations of all types.
There is a myth perpetuated by western media organisations that Indians being superstitious and religiously conservative are instinctively against organ donations. The CVoter survey clearly demolishes such myths.
About 20 per cent of informed respondents said that they had already registered for organ donations while another 26 per cent said they are willing to register if they get more information. Only 20 per cent of the respondents said they would not consider organ donations as it is against their religious or other beliefs.
India has taken the lead and demonstrated to the world how more than 1 billion citizens – rich and poor – can be given Covid vaccine doses. There is nothing that stops India in leading the world in organ donations, an act of philanthropy and compassion that is akin to the divine.
