Body and Organ Donation: Perception among Medical Students and Medical Health Professionals in a Tertiary Care Centre

Introduction: Cadaver is very important in teaching tool in anatomy not only for development of basic knowledge but also for development of psychomotor skill by dissection and voluntary body donation is the major source of cadaver in India now. Organ donation is the last avenue for end stage of organ failure. Therefore, body and organ donation is not only the gracious act but the need of hour. As the medical students and medical health professionals are intimately related to the destiny of organ and body donation they should play vital role in the body and organ donation. Aim: This study aimed to explore the knowledge and attitude of medical students and medical health professionals regarding body and organ donation in a tertiary care centre in India. Materials and Methods: After obtaining permission from institutional ethics committee 1st year MBBS students and various groups of health professionals (junior doctors, senior doctors, nursing staff and medical technicians) were approached. The questionnaires were analysed qualitatively. Results: Among 227 participants 181 (79.73%) were willing to donate their organ and /or body. All nursing staff (100%), 86.74% senior doctors, 82.66% junior doctors, 70% medical technicians and 63.76% 1st year MBBS students expressed positivity towards the practice. But none filled up pledge form. Conclusion: The medical students and medical health professionals are potential donors. So, they must be approached for pledge form (for voluntary organ and body donation) submission. The medical students should be motivated for body and organ donation from the very beginning