Organ donation gift of life: Chiramel
Kuwait Transplant Society launches awareness campaign
KUWAIT: “Organ donation is a gift of life and as a human being it is the personal responsibility of every individual to donate organs after death,” said Fr Davis Chiramel, Chairman of Kidney Federation of India. Chiramel arrived in Kuwait at the invitation of the Kuwait Transplant Society (KTS) to spearhead an awareness campaign and enlist people to pledge their organs for donation.
Speaking at a function organized by the SB College Alumni Association, Kuwait Chapter (AASBCO) at Carmel School in Khaitan, Fr Chiramel said: “It is a simple donation but a noble and great gift. Today, a lot of people die due to organ failures be it kidney, liver, heart or pancreas. There are medical solutions, but we need organs.” In India, more than 20 people die every day due to kidney failure, he said.
Popularly known as the ‘Kidney Priest’, Father Chiramel has been singularly responsible for half a million people in India pledging their kidneys for donation post-mortem. He walked the talk by setting an example for universal brotherhood and compassion by donating one of his kidneys.
Global exchange
“My vision is to build a global exchange of organs. My concept is to share organs between people of different nationalities and religions across the globe. This harmony of organs can create a miracle,” he said. Speaking about the human dimension of organ donation, he reminded the audience about the obligation a person has towards society as a human being. “Don’t love the body, because it is mortal and will perish. Love the person,” he said.
According to Chiramel, millions of people in India are blind. “If people are willing to donate their eyes, these people can see this wonderful world. It will be a gift of life,” he said. “Kuwait is the only country in the world that gives KD 3,000 to the families of persons who donate their organs. It is a wonderful humanitarian gesture,” he said.
During his stay in Kuwait, Fr Chiramel is expected to meet ministers and top government officials. He will visit hospitals and interact with doctors, nurses and hospital staff. “Nurses and hospital staff must be aware of the importance of organ donation, because brain deaths mostly happen in hospitals. It will be a hard task on the part of the staff to console the bereaved family members and alleviate their pain and at the same time convince them about the nobility of organ donation,” he said.
“We hope to reach maximum number of people within a span of one or two years. We will also approach associations, colleges, schools and companies and generate awareness about the significance of organ donation,” he said. “My dream is to make Kuwait the first country in the world to attain total organ donation literacy,” Chiramel added.
Lack of donors
“In Kuwait, we have certain limitations in doing organ transplant surgeries because of the lack of donors. The more donors we have, the more lives can be saved, said Dr Mohammad Jamal of the Kuwait Transplant Society. Speaking as the guest of honor at the event, he said the field of organ transplantation has made huge advances over the last few years. The first kidney transplant was done in the 1950s and the liver transplant in late 1960s, while, lung, heart and pancreas transplants were done in 1970s and 80s. “In Kuwait, the first kidney transplant was done in 1978. Today, we perform kidney and pancreas transplantations in Kuwait,” said Dr Jamal, who is also the Assistant Professor of Surgery at Kuwait University. “As a surgeon I know that transplantation is a costly and painful procedure, because there is a lot of sorrow associated with death. But organ donation makes a huge difference to a lot of patients,” he pointed out.
Jamal sought to dispel a few misconceptions that are associated with organ donations. “When the body is burnt, it turns to ashes; if it is not cremated, then it is eaten by armies of worms,” Jamal said quoting the famous Indian poet Kabir. “Truly speaking, we own nothing in this life except our body. That’s why organ donation is so noble because you are donating the only thing you truly own,” he said. “We have a total of 8,000 donor cards until yesterday. Today you have increased the number by 1,000,” Dr Jamal said.
Under the initiative of Fr Chiramel, 1,000 members of the Indian community yesterday signed organ donor cards at a function in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. More than 60 members of AASBCO also signed organ donor cards which were handed over to Dr Jamal by chapter president Kurien Varghese at the function.
Dr Jamal said that signing the donor card does not guarantee that the person will donate his or her organs when he or she dies. “There are two conditions. First, there must be brain death in which your heart will still be working. Secondly, your family must be willing to donate the organs,” Dr Jamal explained. “Everybody in Kuwait is entitled to get an organ transplant no matter if he is a Kuwaiti or a foreigner. We don’t differentiate between Kuwaitis or expatriates. Transplants are done here for everyone,” he said.
He informed that the payment for the transfer of the body of the organ donor and the burial expenses in addition to a payment of KD 3,000 by the Kuwaiti government to the relatives is nothing but a gesture of appreciation.