I would like to congratulate Rupanjana Dutta for her well researched frontline article on organ shortages, especially among Black and Asian communities, highlighting perceived barriers, based mainly on lack of knowledge and ignorance. Two decades ago, we lost two members from our close friends’ circle who could not find kidneys badly needed to save their lives.
It encouraged me to get involved in a campaign to make organs easily available, have written, met and discuss the issue with MPs, GPs and social workers, unfortunately decorousness had little impact. As usual lack of courage among our cornucopia, selfish politicians is the stumbling block who behave like three monkeys, not to see, hear or comment on politically sensitive subjects, silence is golden?
While visiting EU countries, my journalistic curiosity leads to such discussions. I was pleasantly surprised that in most countries, organs are readily available under different schemes. But ultimately it comes to political will and law enforcement without fear or favour where we are light year behind, mainly due to vote-bank politics.
Most countries operate “In or Out” schemes with some variation. All patients registering with GPs are obliged to sign forms, after meaningful consultation, that if they opt out, they will under no circumstances receive organs in their hour of need. This is most effective way to eliminate perceived religious and cultural barriers on organ donations, if explained and implemented properly, as such misgivings never prevail when one is recipient.
Other schemes include financial inducement, payable when registering deaths if opted in, presenting NHS entitlement card that also prevents “Health Tourism” that is so prevalent in Britain. Dust to dust, ashes to ashes is an undeniable fact, so why let these life-saving organs go to waste through ignorence!
Bhupendra M. Gandhi
By email
