English

Abstract

BACKGROUND There is a worldwide scarcity of cadaver for teaching as well as for research. Many private as well as government medical colleges relay only on unclaimed bodies, but this scarcity of cadaver cannot be replenished with the unclaimed bodies alone. Despite the importance of body donation for medical education, cadaveric donation remains suboptimal worldwide. Body donation programs are still in their infancy in our country. The success of these programs depends upon the ability of our health care professionals in motivating the society at large. Thus, it is crucial that our medical fraternity and health care professionals themselves support and favour this issue. Hence this study was carried out to know the attitude of medical fraternity towards body donation program. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the faculties of Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Sharad Pawar dental college and Ayurvedic college at Datta Meghe Institute of Medical science, Sawangi Meghe, Wardha. Study duration was from July 2018 to July 2019. Inputs from all the study participants were obtained on the basis of questionnaire about the attitude towards body donation after taking their consent. The questionnaire was collected from the participants’ and the data obtained was assessed statistically. RESULTS The study revealed significant negative attitude of medical fraternity towards body donation. It was observed that 21.7 % male & 3.7 % female faculties from medical colleges, 11 % male and 5.71 % female faculties from dental colleges and 25 % male and 10 % female faculties from Ayurvedic colleges were willing for body donation whereas 96 % of faculties from medical colleges, 92 % from dental colleges and 89 % ayurvedic faculties were not willing to donate their bodies for dissection purpose because they had an awful experience in the dissection hall. They had witnessed the dishonoured condition of the cadaver in dissection hall. 95 % of faculties from medical college, 92 % dental faculties and 90 % ayurvedic faculties stated that to get dissected on the table was an atrocious feeling. CONCLUSIONS The success of body donation programs depends upon the ability of health care professionals in motivating the society for voluntary body donation. Negative attitude of medical fraternity towards body donation may interfere with this role. Developing the practice of respecting and honouring the cadaver, from the very beginning of the career will help to change the attitude of medical graduates towards body donation. Competency no AN82.2 from volume 1 UG curriculum, module no 1.5 from ATCOM module may help to change the attitude of budding doctors. KEY WORDS Medical Fraternity, Body Donation, Competency No AN82.2, Module No 1.5