IMA to create organ donors' registry in Kerala

Indian Medical Association in Kerala has come up with a plan to create a voluntary registry of organ donors with details of people who are willing to donate their organs and their consent letters.

The registry will contain the consent letters of those willing to donate their organs and their health status along with other details.

This is being compiled by IMA's Kerala chapter as part of a state-wide awareness campaign on organ donation.

Around 300 people from various walks of life including doctors have already given their consent letters to join the registry, IMA sources said.

Though the government has already a system to harvest organs of deceased people, a concrete mechanism to find out their willingness to donate organs and get their consent is still lacking, an IMA official said.

"We need a concrete system to find out organ donors and get their consent. We think about a donor only during the time of emergency. But, our voluntary registry will help get the details and whereabouts a large number of people who are willing to donate their organs," Dr A V Jayakrishnan, state secretary, IMA said.

He said those who join the registry and submit their consent letter for donation would get donor cards and certificates.

"When we harvest organs of deceased, we actually do not know whether he or she was willing to donate their organs or not. But, if there is such a registry, we can easily identify those who are willing for donation," he said.

He expressed hope that the registry would support the organ donation drives of the state government. "Besides the compilation of the registry, we are planning a state-wide awareness drive to promote organ donation. We will reach the public through residence associations, schools, colleges, NGOs and other organisation," he said.

The campaign would also help in removing misunderstandings among public regarding organ donation.