Frequently asked questions
Anyone — from a child to an old person. Even if you have had a serious illness in the past, you can still become a donor under the right circumstances.
No. The **Transplantation of Human Organs Act** prohibits any commercial dealings in organs and makes this a punishable offence.
Recipients are chosen on the grounds of **need**, **longest waiting time** and by **blood group** and, if necessary, by **tissue characteristics**. There is a waiting list for organ transplants because demand exceeds supply.
Most religious groups support the concept of organ donation. However, if you have any doubt you can discuss it with your spiritual or religious leader.
Brain death usually results from a severe brain injury or brain haemorrhage which causes all brain activity to stop. This can happen after a major road accident or bleeding in the brain due to stroke.
A series of tests have to be completed before brain death is declared by a panel of medical experts. Once confirmed, the family may choose to donate the **eyes, kidneys, liver, pancreas, heart and heart valves** — turning tragedy into triumph for several waiting recipients.
Each organ has its own viable preservation window once retrieved — kidneys can be transported the longest, while heart and lungs must reach the recipient within hours. Speed is everything, which is why hospitals, coordinators and transport teams work together to a strict timeline.
Yes. Healthy living people can donate one of their two **kidneys**, a part of the **liver**, or in some cases part of a **lung** or **pancreas** to a close relative — provided medical compatibility and the authorisation committee's approval.
It is possible to transplant **twenty-five different organs and tissues**, including cornea, heart valves, liver, kidneys, bone and cartilage, bone marrow, skin, pancreas, lung and intestine.
People whose vital organs have failed. Except for the brain, *all other organs can be replaced* — which might be life saving. Tissues such as cornea, skin, bone and heart valves can also enable repair and reconstruction.
Brain death is when brain function has **completely and permanently ceased** despite mechanical support keeping the heart and lungs functioning. The person is effectively *a cadaver with a beating heart*.
Four doctors from a panel recommended by the Government carry out a series of tests to confirm that a patient is **brain-stem dead**. The panel includes a neurosurgeon, the treating doctor, an intensivist and the medical superintendent.
No. Organ donation is often an **immediate and lasting consolation** to families — knowing that their loved one's decision gave another patient a second chance at life.
Anyone is eligible to be an organ donor depending on the doctor's decision. As a guideline, donation is generally considered between **2 and 65 years** of age, but the final call rests with the medical team after evaluating each organ.
**Blood group compatibility** is essential. Cross-matching, tissue typing and overall medical fitness are then assessed before a donor is matched with a recipient.
Once a patient is admitted, every effort is made to stabilise them. If all efforts fail and brain death is established, the process is: 1. Evaluation, testing and documentation to pronounce brain death. 2. Obtaining informed consent from the family. 3. Informing the organ procurement organisation (Jeevasarthakathe). 4. Securing coroner / legal approval where applicable. 5. Maintaining the donor on ventilator support with medications and laboratory monitoring. 6. Identifying matched recipients and mobilising surgical teams. 7. Performing multi-organ recovery with preservation. 8. Respectfully closing and releasing the donor's body to the family.
India still relies heavily on **live donors** because cadaver donation remains underdeveloped due to insufficient public awareness. Many patients without a suitable donor are pushed towards commercial options. All such transplants are *discouraged*, but patients in a life-and-death situation sometimes convince doctors and authorisation committees. The long-term solution is a robust cadaver transplant programme nationwide.
General preventive measures include: - Eat healthy, fresh, low-salt foods and avoid fatty refined options. - Stop smoking. - Exercise regularly. - Monitor your blood pressure. - Reduce stress and strain.
The only organisation in Karnataka through whom organ donations and transplants are coordinated is **Jeevasarthakathe**. The organisation maintains transplant waitlists, assesses donor suitability, matches recipients by blood group criteria, and assists families in medico-legal cases. Reach us at **jeevasarthakathe@gmail.com** or **+91 98450 06768 / 080-2629 5636**.
Eye & cornea donation — frequently asked questions
The **cornea**, the main focusing part, is the clear front surface of the eye. Like a window, it allows light to enter. Vision could be markedly reduced or lost if the cornea becomes cloudy or scarred.
Injuries to the eye, birth defects, malnutrition, infections, chemical burns, congenital disorders and complications of eye surgery.
Eye donors can be of **any age group or sex**. People with spectacles, diabetes, high blood pressure or asthma may still donate. People who **cannot** donate include those with: AIDS, Hepatitis B / C, Rabies, Septicaemia, Acute Leukaemia, Tetanus, Cholera, Meningitis or Encephalitis.
The eye bank is a **non-profit organisation** that obtains, medically evaluates and distributes donated eyes for use in cornea transplants, scleral reconstruction, research and education.
Anyone. **Cataract, poor eyesight and age do not prohibit you from becoming a donor.** Please notify your next of kin of your intentions so they can act on them when the time comes.
Eyes restore sight through transplantation, research and education. **Over 90 percent** of the more than 41,300 cornea transplant operations performed each year successfully restore vision.
A cornea transplant is the surgical procedure that replaces a disc-shaped segment of an impaired cornea with a similarly shaped piece of a healthy donor cornea.
A cornea transplant is usually performed **within 4 days** after donation, depending on the method of cornea preservation.
The surgical removal of the eye tissue is performed **soon after death**, ensuring the tissue is in the best possible condition for transplant.
No. Only the **cornea** and the **sclera** (white part of the eye) can be transplanted.
Potential donors are carefully screened for medical suitability and high-risk factors. **HIV, Hepatitis B and syphilis tests** are done before any tissue is released for surgery.
More than **35,000 eyes** are used annually for research and education. Research on glaucoma, retinal disease, complications of diabetes and other sight disorders benefit from eye donations.
No. Donation is a *gift of life or sight* to others — eye, organ and tissue donations are consistent with the beliefs and attitudes of the major religions.
No. Eye tissue is procured within hours of death, so families may proceed with funeral arrangements as planned.
No. **Great care is taken** to preserve the appearance of the donor.
No. It is **illegal** to buy and sell human eyes, organs and tissues.
No. **Donor anonymity is strictly preserved by law.**
Strict laws protect the potential donor. Legal guidelines must be followed before death can be certified, and a physician certifying death **cannot participate** in eye procurement or transplant procedures.
Beyond honouring the deceased's wishes, donation provides comfort: *"Just knowing that a small part of our loved one is going on in life, helping someone see this world, is a consolation."*
Inform your family and legal representative. A **donor card** can serve as an indication to your family, your legal representative and hospitals of your intention to be an eye donor.
Key actions you can take: - Decide to donate your eyes. - Encourage family members to do the same. - Join your local eye-donation centre. - Contact the nearest eye bank promptly after a death in the family. - Motivate others through awareness. - Provide monetary support to eye banks where possible.
- Eyes must be removed within **4–6 hours** of death by a registered practitioner. - Eye removal does **not delay the funeral** — the entire procedure takes only 20–30 minutes. - Donor and recipient identities are kept strictly confidential.
- Gently close the deceased's eyelids. - Turn off ceiling fans near the body. - Raise the head slightly with a pillow. - Contact the nearest eye bank immediately with the address and clear landmarks.
The family receives an **appreciation certificate**. Eye-bank staff evaluate the corneas, conduct serology tests, coordinate with surgeons, place recipients on the waiting list, perform the transplants and conduct follow-up care.
- Round-the-clock staff availability. - Supply of quality, screened corneas to surgeons. - Facilitation of corneal research. - Public awareness campaigns on eye donation. - Training of doctors and technicians. - Building a network of eye-donation centres across the state.