Malaysians Can Register As Organ Donor Pledgers On MySejahtera Starting Tuesday
The rate of organ donation is very low in Malaysia and the ease of registration via MySejahtera hopes to mitigate the issue.
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Malaysians can start registering themselves as organ donor pledgers on MySejahtera on Tuesday (6 September).
According to Free Malaysia Today, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the feature in the app would also provide updates on all matters regarding organ donation.
Back in March 2022, Khairy said the organ donation rate in Malaysia is one of the lowest in the world.
As such, a suggestion to make it easier for people to register as organ donors via an app like MySejahtera was put forward.
If you registered as an organ donor via MySejahtera, a digital copy of your organ donor card is saved in the app.
Currently, there are 10,442 individuals who are awaiting organ transplants in Malaysia.
The National Transplant Resource Centre stated that there have been 517,758 organ donor pledgers since 1997. However, only 779 were actual donors as of July 2022.
Malaysia also ranks 10th in the world for a low transplantation rate, with only 2.84 transplantations per 1000 of the population in 2021.
In 2020, the rate was 5.64 transplantations per 1000 of the population.
It’s advisable to inform your loved ones
If you decide to pledge yourself as an organ donor, it’s advisable to inform family members and loved ones beforehand to prevent complications in the future.
Public Awareness Action Committee for Organ Donation former chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said there were cases in the past whereby people had pledged to be organ donors but never informed their family members.
Due to this, their family members refused to allow such procedures to be carried out.
It’s important to remember that organs can only be donated once the family or next-of-kin gives consent.
READ MORE: Family obstruction is why M’sian organ donation rates are so low
What are the organs that can be donated in Malaysia?
The Health Ministry stated that individuals can donate organs and tissues such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidney, eyes/ cornea, heart valve, bones and skin.
According to the FAQ, organ and tissue donation doesn’t result in body disfigurement and every measure is taken to ensure the donor is treated with respect and kindness. Burial and open casket funerals are still possible if desired too.
If the donor is confirmed brain dead, all of their organs and tissues can be donated, while someone with a cardiac death can donate their tissues only.
Only the corneal tissues (eye) are retrieved for donation if the donor dies at home.
For more information, you can visit the official National Transplant Resource Centre website.
READ MORE: Wanna Be A Hero & Save A Life? You Could Be A Living Kidney Donor
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