Photo: Islamic Community Röhlinghausen An event on the topic of organ donation took place in the Islamic community in Röhlinghausen.
Islamic community invited
Organ donation event
The information event on the subject of organ donation was hosted by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Mortimer Gierthmühlen and the managing senior physician Dr. Led by Benedikt Alders and offered as part of “Come to NRW”. Both experts emphasized the importance of raising awareness about organ donation.
In the first part of the evening, Prof. Gierthmühlen explained how the human body works. He explained that all major organs – heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and brain – work together and are powered by the oxygen in the blood. The brain in particular is the largest consumer of oxygen and plays a central role in the body. Brain death means the “final and complete extinction of the vital brain functions”, which means the death of the person. Although the body is still kept alive by medical devices, this does not mean that the person is still alive. In this case, the heartbeat can continue to be maintained, but as soon as the devices are switched off, the heart stops beating within a very short time.
Dr. Alders discussed how the organ donation process works and emphasized that there are clear, legally regulated requirements. Organs can only be donated if brain death has been diagnosed beyond doubt. Only certain organs such as lungs, liver, kidneys and heart are donated, although there are no machines in particular for the liver that could replace its function. The need for organ donations is particularly high in Germany, as the country has the lowest number of organ donors in a European comparison.
Finally, the often misunderstood concept of “pulling the plug” was discussed. Both experts emphasized that every person who can be kept alive receives the best possible medical care – regardless of origin or social status. However, if brain death is diagnosed, it means the end of life and the devices have to be switched off.
Sunday, October 6, 2024 | Source: Islamic Community Röhlinghausen
