Organ Donations Will You Do it?

Posted by Fadzuli

July 26, 2007

Its been a hot topic in the Malay Muslim community lately. As the number of patients that requires organ transplant rises in the past years, the number of people coming forward to donate their organs decreases significantly.

Based on Channel News Asia’s report on the 14th of July, there are now 124 Muslims from a total of 594 patients on the waiting list for an organ transplant. The list of donors has decrease from 496 in 2005, 924 in 2004 and last year only 87 Muslims pledged to donate their organs if something were to happen to them.

In today’s Berita Harian, MUIS is encouraging more people to opt in for the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA).

In malay. Read here.
HOTA Act. Read here.

From what I understand only Muslims are not by default part of the HOTA while others are. So for non-Muslims they have to opt out if do not wish their organs to be donated.

Aside from saving lives, your organs can also be donated for research studies. So the question is are we willing to do so?

Personally if you ask me, I will donate mine if my organs are still in good shape whether its to save someone’s life or for research purposes. As Muslims we all know that we live in this world temporarily and thus this body is only borrowed. If there are opportunities to save another why not!!

Then the bad thing is, you never know what those medical students will do if you state it for research purpose..All you know they may end up destroying the organs..Ooh man wasted!!. I hope that doesn’t happen.

I had an interesting discussion with one of my uncles yesterday. He happen to find out that if you pledge yourself into this Act, you will gain some benefits which may be worthwhile. He mention that if we signed up now and in our later years if we happen to get kidney failure, we could get a lifetime free dialysis treatment.

From my own experience, a kidney failure patient can cough up about 2K to 5K per month just for dialysis alone and its treatment. My Grandma had this problem before she passed away a few years back and I could see the financial strains that occurred to my mom and her siblings.

Somehow Free dialysis seems unrealistic to me but what if its real? Anyone out there can point out if this is true. I’m still looking for the facts.

My uncle also pointed up something real which you guys can refer to. Actually a doctor pointed this idea to him. You know the cases of motorcycle accidents and the high number of deaths among the Malay-Muslim Youths. What if these kids were to opt in for the HOTA, could they help save more lives.

The doctor told him that its a waste that these kids are not part of the HOTA. Furthermore the Malay Youths don’t listen. However much we tell them, the number of bike accidents still increases every year and they could not use their organs because there were not part of the HOTA.

What do you guys think? Could their organs helped more people. There’s a lot of morals and ethical issues involve though. Families not approving!!. Much worse when politics starts to kick in. Think about it and give your views!!

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