For various reasons I am rather glad that I am not the Dean of a medical school but, knowing that if I were the Dean of a medical school in Taiwan, I would have to donate my body for research is not one of them. The belief is that having been such a valuable teacher in life, it is important to carry on with this work after death – ‘a silent mentor’ as it is known.
For various reasons I am rather glad that I am not the Dean of a medical school but, knowing that if I were the Dean of a medical school in Taiwan, I would have to donate my body for research is not one of them. The belief is that having been such a valuable teacher in life, it is important to carry on with this work after death – ‘a silent mentor’ as it is known.
In fact, a former dean has worked hard to encourage full body donation from all the whole population and it has been an incredible success. Since the programme began in 1971, 210 000 people in Taiwan have registered and 77 000 cadavers have been used to teach thousands of medical and dental students. Although hundreds of people sign up in England every year it is not enough to keep up with the need. There is a shortage of up to 30% a year.
I guess donating one’s body could be daunting for many others, but knowing the value of the research to the health of the population, it is something I am willing to consider. In fact, I am contemplating finding out the procedures and if there are any age or illness limits. Within the first couple of years of medical training the students get to examine the body thoroughly rather than working only simulated models as is the case in a number of countries. This is has come about due to the limited number of people willing to donate their bodies as well as it being less expensive for the medical school involved. To help SA continue to produce doctors with indepth knowledge and thus, the health of future generations, maybe you too might consider this donation following your own death. If you do not wish to donate your whole body the other option is to be an organ and tissue donor.
While researching for my book I came across some really interesting information with regard to organ/tissue donation or full body donation in South Africa. Interestingly the permission process after death for each of these is different and probably have different effects on each family involved.
One of the hardest questions to hear when a loved one dies is, ‘May we harvest his/her organs?’ Because the time for the harvesting of organs and getting them to the patient in need is very limited, decisions have to be made quickly. This means that the family has to make difficult decisons when in a very emotional state. It would be a bit easier if the deceased person had clearly indicated that it was their desire to make the donations. Otherwise it can be painful, not only about the decision but even more so if family members disagree. Unfortunately, whether or not the person has completed applications and even wears some sort of bracelet such as a MedicAlert, it is the family who has to make the final decision. Don’t you think that you should let your family know that this is YOUR decision and they must please respect it. This means that a quick decision can be made resulting in 2 advantages – the family can then mourn together and the ill patient(s) can be given a new lease on life. If you do not want to donate, let your family know that too. These decisions can also be included in your Will.
In the instance where the deceased has made the decision to donate their body to medical science, the family has no say at the time of death and the body is immediately removed to the nearest medical school for assessment. If there is any reason the body cannot be used for teaching purposes – widespread cancer, severe damage due to an accident etc – then the body is returned to the family for burial or cremation. To me this can be even more traumatic for the family if they do not know that it is the person’s decision. Once again, I urge families to talk about decisions they have made for the disposal of their body at the time of death.
Carrying out a loved one’s personal wishes in any way is actually very comforting for the family and also helps a lot in bringing closure to that person’s eartly life.