Religion and relatives in the way of organ donation, Malaysia

KUCHING: Only 0.5% of the population in Malaysia have pledged to donate their organs.

According to statistics until November, only 149,314 had signed up for their donor cards. Among the states with the least number of donors is Sarawak, at just 4,500.

Since 1999, when the National Transplant Resource Centre’s registry was set up, there have only been 307 organ transplant cases.

Sarawak Health Department director Dr Zulkifli Jantan said there were many reasons for this, chief among which was the lack of awareness on how organ donations were carried out.

“Sometimes, although the person has a donor card, the transplant is not carried out because relatives refused permission,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Speaking to promote an upcoming organ donor event, Dr Zulkifli explained that at times, consent should come from family members.

“For example, being brain dead is considered being legally dead. As such, any decision must come from a relative. The organ donor card is not legally binding, it is just a pledge.”

He described organ donation as the “ultimate humanitarian act”, and that hospitals usually waived medical fees for organ donors.

“The doctor will undertake every known measure to save your life right till the end. Only when they are satisfied the person is dead will the question of organ and tissue donation be discussed with relatives.”

He added that organ harvesting did not cause disfiguration of the body. “The donor is treated with utmost respect and dignity.”

Another reason Dr Zulkifli gave was religious and cultural misunderstanding on the subject.

He cited a low 16% participation from the Malay community. Until November, about 58% of pledgers were from the Chinese community, followed by Indians at 24%.

“We need to make it clear to Muslims that nothing in the religion forbids organ donation. All the religions of the world including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hinduism see organ donation as an act of charity and benevolence.”

Top of the list of needed organs were kidneys, he said.