AWARENESS AND PERCEPTION ABOUT ORGAN DONATION IN RURAL POPULATION

Abstract

Organ donation can save thousands of lives but it is still less attended issue. Various laws have been
enacted to prevent abuse and criminal incidences due to high cost of bridging the demand and supply
gap between receiver and donor. The important issue of awareness arises where more than 70%
population of india stays and addressing this issue may give answers to longer waiting problem of
organ receivers.
Objectives:To identify the factors (social, psychological, economic) in rural population that hinder or
aid for organ donation.
Result:The age of study population ranged from 18 – 72 years and there was significant association
found between organ donation information and acceptance of it with chi square value of 8.374 and
more than 85 % population in rural area were willing to encourage and assist their family members to
donate their organ, 29 (27.6%) were of the view that eyes and kidney can be donated which was followed
by 27 (25.7%) respondents that said only eyes can be donated.51 (48.6%) respondents believed that
adult donor required the consent only of the donor, 25 (23.8%) expected that consent should come from
the family members. However, a majority of 82 (78.1%) respondents said that any needy individual
could receive an organ. Out of 105, 61 (58.1%) participants strongly supported the idea of organ
donation. 38 (36.2%) supported it with a little doubt.
Conclusion:Rules pertaining to organ donation and organ transplantation and related legal issues are
the concern of hour. It is essential to inform general population about the potential organs that can be
donated and the maximum time gap for its transplantation along with fulfillment of legal requirements
in order to increase the organ donation rate.