Linkages of Organ/Tissue Donation and Transplantation with “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”- Indian Stories

Abstract

This paper draws a parallel of Maslow hierarchy of needs with organ donation and transplantation and illustrates how these needs i.e., physiological, security, love and belongingness, self-esteem and self-actualization are inter-dependent, interlinked and entrenched in both living as well as deceased organ donation and transplantation. The paper illustrates the nuances of inter-linkages of need satisfaction of people and professionals in organ donation and transplantation. With some case studies, it draws attention to the plight of impoverished people and insecure women who are exploited or intimidated into donating organs for meeting their physiological and security needs in class stratified and gender insensitive social milieu respectively. It however, reveres the acts of donation of organs by relatives of deceased donors who allow donation of organs from Brain Stem Dead donors in India and illustrates how security needs of these families are met through the most powerful and altruistic act of organ donation that gives life to a number of people fighting end stage organ failures. The paper traces new expectations of love and belongingness in the form of organ donation and discusses role reversal of females even on Rakshabandan, a Hindu festival that celebrates love and affection between a sister and a brother. The sisters risk their lives and gift their organs to give a fresh lease of life to their brothers. Drawing attention to the forth level of needs, the paper discusses the plight of some vulnerable people who end up donating organs for gratification of their self-esteem needs in contrast to transplantation community who seek gratification of the same need through transplantation and influencing law making process in context of both living and deceased donation. It admires the gratification of self-actualization needs of a number of people who pledge to donate tissues, organs as well as the bodies after death/Brain Stem Death. India being a progressive country in organ donation and transplantation, this paper reveals how some professionals having satisfied all other basic needs, spend their own money and work tirelessly for pushing ahead the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) under the aegis of National Organ Transplant Programme(NOTP ) in the country.