Many people die across the world because they cannot get someone to donate an organ that would help in treating their medical problem. Despite accusation that the medical professionals have not been making enough effort to educate the people about organ donation, a large part of the community is still unenthusiastic about the issue. It is complicated since people have varying reasons for not donating even when they know the importance of the action.
Common reasons for failing to donate body organs
There are many reasons why people prefer the bodies to their bodies should have all organs for burial or cremation, but these are the most prevalent.
- Mistrust of medical professionals
Most people fear that that the medical staff will neglect and mishandle them after learning that they are donors. They believe that doctors nursing essay topics will not put much effort to save their lives but will start planning on how to remove the organs to treat other people to complete the procedure before anything affects the parts they want to transplant.
- Confusion about the death status
Many people do not understand the difference between brain and biological death. The explanation by medics is that brain death is permanent damage to the brain that stops independent respiration which is nursing assignment examples an indication of death. Families of donors and non-medical specialist find this definition to be very complicated because brain death does not prevent other body organs from normal functioning.
According to this explanation, the person is not entirely dead thus doctors can harvest organs in health state. The confusion is cause for many legal battles as families claim that doctors are not sure when a donor is a brain or biologically dead. They see doctors as opportunists who cause actual death by removing a vital organ to that takes life away rather than wait for the biological end. Many people shy from donating organs as they do not believe that a medic should remove them when they are the only brain dead.
- Fear of Death
Many people are psychologically uncomfortable to register for an organ donation because they do not want to talk about their death and subsequent intimate medical procedures. They regard discussion of death and organ donation to be a taboo.
- The appearance of the body
A group of would-be donors or their families fear that removing tissue(s) will make the body ugly when lying in state. What they do not know is that the visible areas such as the hands, throat and face will be intact. Another reason regarding the body is that people think the donation process may take longer to delay the cremation or burial. The time it takes to complete the procedure depends on the organ, but it cannot exceed 24 hours.
- Religious belief
Many religions encourage their followers to help the sick but some to do not regard organ donation as one of the generous gestures. Those who believe in life after death think that the body should stay intact.
Many myths and misunderstanding about organ donation show that many people are not ready to donate an organ. Medical practitioners have to make more effort to clear the mystery.