Organ Transplantation: Ethical, Social, and Religious Issues in a Multicultural Societies of India

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Georgekutty Kochuchakkalackal Kuriala (Ecclesiastical Faculty, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, College of Medicine, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Manila, Philippines, and Department of Arts and Science, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Cavite, Philippines)

Organ transplantation is one of the greatest medical miracles of the twentieth century. This has introduced fresh hope for the treatment of serious diseases. However, this potential has been accompanied by several issues in each of the countries. The most common issues raised are ethical implications, but in a multicultural society like India, additional concerns arise from social and religious matters. Attitude and acceptability towards organ donation vary according to social, culture, and religion. The diverse cultural, religious, and traditional concepts about organ donation may hamper its acceptability and cause unwillingness to donate organs. The purpose of this article is to briefly explore the ethical issues involved in organ transplantations and the various religious opinions on organ donation. It is hoped that this knowledge and understanding may benefit both health care providers and patients in a multicultural society like India.