Materia Medica Malaysiana

Muslims keen on donating organs

More Muslims are interested in donating their organs.
Both young and old, have been calling up the National Transplant Resource Centre during the past week wanting to know if it was all right for them to donate their organs.
The interest was generated after the New Straits Times highlighted the plight of Siti Salmah Jasni, 16, a Form 4 pupil of Sekolah Tengku Abdul Rahman Putra, in Kulai, Johor, who needed an urgent double lung transplant.
She is one of the eight patients waiting for either lung or lung-heart transplant operations.
The centre’s coordinator Dr Lela Yasmin Mansor said ever since the NST front-paged the "Save Siti" story, calls have been flooding into the centre wanting to know more about organ donations.
"We were surprised as many of the callers were Muslims. They wanted to know more from the religious aspect and if it was okay to donate," she said.
She also received SMS on her handphone wanting more details on organ donations and how to go about it while some wanted to help organise campaigns on organ donation.
"Many of those who made enquiries have requested that pledge cards be sent to them," she said.
Dr Lela said all hospitals nationwide have also been put on alert for brain-dead persons so doctors could seek co-operation of family members to get their consent to harvest the organs.
"Awareness has increased and we are hoping that someone will give consent to harvest organs of a brain-dead family member."
She said several private hospitals have also sought more information on how to alert the centre of possible donors .
"The response is good," she said, adding that the centre was also planning to hold organ donation campaigns to create awareness among people on the importance of donating organs to save lives.
Siti Salmah, who was discharged from the Institute of Respiratory Medicine on Tuesday, was happy to take home a RM6,000 Oxygen Concentrator and another RM6,000 worth of oxygen tanks.
If her health permits, she plans to resume her studies.
She stopped going to school early this year.
Siti Salmah was found to be suffering from primary pulmonary hypertension in her lungs caused by a genetic disorder.
Meanwhile, lawyer P.S. Ranjan said under the Human Tissues Act 1974 there was no necessity to seek the consent of a family member once the donor has authorised that the organs could be harvested for transplant.