Wed 31 Jan 2007
A lead newsitem following Mr. Wahidul Haq’s death was donation of his body for medical science. His body was handed over to BSMMU. In the past, several similar gestures and wishes could not be fulfilled due to family unwillingness as well as inaction of the authority citing lack of guideline and law. When Aroj ali Matubbor first donated his body for medical science, that created a huge backlash and controversy. Writer Humayun Azad’s wishes could not be fulfilled as apparently the family was not sure about it. In this context after death, Mt Wahidul Haq created another milestone in Bangladesh. He finally succeded in donating his body while all previous attempts failed.
With his donation Mr Wahidul Haq threw a challenge to the medical community of Bangladesh. Now it was the responsibility of the medical community to harvest all the organs and save multiple lives by transplanting them. I don’t know what exactly happeneded with his body, but I doubt his organs could have been harvested for proper transplantation. We simply do not have an efficient system in effect to harvest body organs and parts those can be life saving to others.
In this juncture I also take the opportunity to remember Dr Enamul Haq who first donated his cornea in Bangladesh. In a very humble move late Shahadat Chowdhury, ex editor of Bichitra and 2000, was the one who came forward to receive that cornea for his injured eye. Thanks to the way they showed, only organs that is regularly harvested in Bangladesh is the cornea (eye).
I hope, thanks to the way Mr Wahidul Haq showed just showed us, someday our poor healthy young man and women will no longer have to sell their organs. Posthumous donations will ensure enough organs for transplantation.
February 1st, 2007 at 12:50 am
I was told that Swandhani who ran an eye donation drive in the 80s fell in the wrong side of the law in this regard. Is anyone aware of regulations / laws preventing this from happening?
It is a great idea which can be made popular through a campaign.
My own grandfather always spoke about donating his body to science but we never did do it. Sad really. He would have loved to “live” through others. I personally would like the same for myself.
February 1st, 2007 at 2:01 am
Re: Humayun Azad, there may have been different issue, which was concern about foul play (it’s more likely that his death in Germany was due to incomplete recovery from the knife attack).
February 1st, 2007 at 11:05 am
This is one thing that is easy to do in U.S. — I did that when I got my driver’s license - donated my entire body - organs and tissue. The info stays in the data base and shows up in the back of each individual’s DL – so that in whatever situation the death occurs, the authority can be notified.
It made my mother queasy when I told her. Some people of Muslim faith believe that the body should be buried without any delay…which dampens the idea of preserving the body for the couple of hours required for the removal of organs.
I haven’t read anything in the Quran (I read tafsirs of Quran by two different translators) that suggested that organ transplant would mean going against the faith. On the contrary there is huge emphasis in Quran on serving the humanity.
February 1st, 2007 at 12:20 pm
I thought Sandhani National eye Donation Society has a very vibrant program in collecting cornea and grafting it back. I didn’t know that service is closed. I’ll be in Dhaka next week and hope to have a meeting with Sandhani national leadership.
I was a little surprised too, although Sandhani started with big promise, recently Sandhani is somewhat absent from national media scenario.
About organ dfonation, the donor practically do not die until the organs are collected. When brain death is confirmed, we keep the patient alive by artificial means until organs are harvested in the OR. Once heart is collected, death is declared. Then burial can happen ASAP.
Apparently there was a very authentic fatwa from AL-Ajhar university permitting muslims to donate organs and even body.
February 4th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Friends,
For your knowledge of this action:Upon deadth donating body parts-here is what I collected from site:www.islamhelponline.com
The Holy Quran and Sunnah are silent on the issue of donating organs, as these transplants were obviously made available only after the advancements of technology and modern medicine, which were not available at the time the Quran was being revealed. The scholars in Islam have debated on this issue in light of the principles of the Quran and Sunnah, and the majority of them are of the opinion that there is no harm if one donates his body organs after his death to another so that some other believer may benefit from them after his/her death; provided some conditions are met.
One cannot be forced to donate his body parts.
One may donate his body parts of his own free will.
One should not sell or get any material benefit for donating his body parts.
Their argument or ‘daleel’ is that one’s body parts are only needed as long as one is alive, and are absolutely no use to the person once he/she dies. Thus if these parts can benefit some loved one, there is no harm in donating them.
A few scholars though, have voiced their opinion saying that it is forbidden to donate one’s body parts to another. Their ‘daleel’ is that man is not the inherent owner of his own body, as the body was only given to man as a trust from Allah Subhanah, Who is the Real Owner of everything. Therefore it is not permissible to distribute something which does not belong to man in the first place.
The majority of the scholars however are of the opinion that if one does it of his own free will, and does not demand or get any material benefit from it, there is no harm in donating one’s body parts to a loved one after his/her death.
And Allah Alone Knows Best.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength