Veerachai Sachdev, Kittiphon Nagaviroj and Arthit Chaithanasarn
Ramathibodi Hospital, Thailand
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Primary Health Care
Objective: To understand the belief in regards to the attitudes and awareness about organ donation amongst patients visiting a tertiary hospital in Bangkok. Design: An in-depth interview was conducted on 38 participants at Family Medicine Department; participants were aged between 18-78 years. Participants were identified as Buddhist (92%), Islam (5%) and Christian (3%). Recruitment: Patients were recruited randomised and unselected similar to â??real life practiceâ? and consent was obtained prior to conducting interview. Results: 6 themes were identified which aimed to address the attitudes and awareness of organ donation amongst patients visiting Ramathibodi Hospital. The themes include: Perception on organ donation; Personal view on death and dying; General knowledge about organ donation; Understanding the law and regulation about organ donation; Religious belief and implication on organ donation and; â??opt-inâ? organ donor on national identity card. Conclusion: An organ transplant may represent a new life for an individual receiving the organ, at the same time a sense of hope removed from the depths of sorrow and grief in the case of a dead donor. Today, the major obstacles regarding organ transplantation in Thailand is the lack of organ donor. In 2014, there were over 4.431 patients registered with Thai Red Cross to receive organ donation and only 432 people actually received which accumulated to 9.7% of total patients waiting to receive an organ.
Veerachai Sachdev is a Family Physician specialised in Palliative Medicine and currently studying Master’s in Medical Ethics and Law at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Following completion of Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at the University of Adelaide, he went on a General Practice training in rural parts of South Australia. He returned to Thailand and joined Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University as a part time Consultant involved in Post-graduate and Under-graduate teaching and Palliative Care service.
Email: jaisach@hotmail.com
