Ans: Whole body donation means donating of one’s body after their death to an approved medical institution for utilisation for medical education and research purpose. This decision of donating one’s body should be an informed one, out of free will, meaning that the person donating his/her body should be doing so as per his/her wish and not under compulsion.

Body donation is governed by the Anatomy Act, which is “An Act to provide for the supply of unclaimed bodies of deceased persons (or donated bodies or any part thereof of deceased persons) to hospitals and medical and teaching institutions for the purpose of anatomical examination and dissection and other similar purposes.”

Ans: Organ donation is different from the whole-body donation. Organ donation is done by harvesting a healthy organ or tissues from one person (Donor, after brain death), for transplantation, into another person (recipient), who needs such an organ.
In contrast, in whole-body donation, the entire body is donated after the death of the person. There is a constant need for whole bodies for teaching the healthcare professionals. This priceless gift of whole-body donation can be done without any financial expenditure by the family.

Ans: No. The body in which multiorgan donation has been done cannot be donated for academic purpose, because it will not be useful.

Ans: Donating one’s body for progress of science is a unique and priceless gift. Donated bodies are used for teaching and training future doctors (medical students) and nurses, training the existing and future surgeons/ superspecialists in new surgical techniques, for conducting scientific research and for designing biomedical devices.
Donated bodies aid in developing knowledge and creating solutions for medical problems of tomorrow. There is an extraordinary demand for this valuable gift (donated bodies). Whole-body donation is a noble gesture, which is respected beyond any measure.

Ans: Any Indian citizen who is above the age of 18 years and eligible to give a legally valid consent can register themselves as a Whole-body donor under the voluntary whole-body donation program of Department of Anatomy, JIPMER, Puducherry. There is no upper age limit.
Next of kin/guardian/person in lawful possession of the body of the deceased can donate the body of the deceased, even though the deceased is not a registered donor.
You have to contact the Anatomy Department for the same to donate their body.

Ans. Department of Anatomy is the nodal department for Whole-body donations. It is located on the ground floor of JIPMER ACADEMIC CENTRE (JAC), Building number 8, Opposite to JIPMER Cancer Hospital, Puducherry.

Ans: One has to fill the WILL FORM available in the Department of Anatomy and submit the same to the Department. The WILL FORM consists of declaration and consent from the prospective donor and the near relatives of the donor. Then the Department will issue a Donor Card, in which the donor and department contact details will be available.

Ans: Yes. You can submit a letter addressed to the Medical superintendent of JIPMER hospital, stating your intension to donate your relatives’ body. You can submit the required documents while handing over the body to the Department of Anatomy.

Ans: Please note that the procedure followed for donation, if death has occurred at home and if the death has occurred in a hospital are different. So, it is important to first inform the Department of Anatomy about the death and discuss with the faculty for instructions.  The faculty of the Department will ask certain questions regarding the deceased individual and nature of death. If the faculty is satisfied, then the family of the deceased will be asked to submit the following documents, before the body is handed over to the department:
The near relative/ legal heir of the deceased has to submit the following documents while handing of the body:
a) A body donation consent form, addressed to the Medical Superintendent of the JIPMER Hospital, stating the intension to donate the body of the deceased. This written form should be submitted by the near relative/legal heir/ next of kin of the deceased person.
b) Copy of Certificate of medical cause of death (Death certificate) from a registered medical practitioner in the prescribed format.
c) No objection certificate (in original) from local police station. This no objection certificate is not required, if the donor has expired at JIPMER hospital.
d) Copy of identity proof (Voter ID/ Aadhar) of the deceased donor as well as the near relative, who is handing over the body. 
Please note:
i) If the death has occurred at the hospital, then the hospital will provide the Certificate of medical cause of death (death certificate).   
ii) If the death has occurred at the home of the deceased, then a registered medical practitioner needs to be called to the home, to declare the death and for issuing a certificate of medical cause of death (death certificate) in the prescribed format.

Ans: The relatives of the deceased donor have to bring the body to the Department of Anatomy by arranging their own medium of transport such as ambulance or hearse van during working hours (9:00am to 4:30pm).

Ans. Department of Anatomy being an academic and nonclinical department, is open only during the following hours during the weekdays:
Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Ans: Please try to handover the body within the working hours to the Department of Anatomy. In case of any inadvertent situation which prevents the handover of the body outside of working hours of Department of Anatomy, then the body can be handed over to the Emergency Medical Services Department (Casualty department) which will be functional 24 hours, on all days of the week. On the next day working day, Department of Anatomy will take possession of the donated body from the Emergency Medical Services Department.

Ans: Donated bodies are used for medical education and research purpose including anatomical examination and research. Medical professionals will be exposed to the infections present in the donated body. Hence, not all registered donations can be accepted.
The donated bodies may not be accepted, if the donor is diagnosed with following diseases:
• COVID-19
• HIV/AIDS
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Tuberculosis
• Prion Disease
• Severe trauma
• All medicolegal cases such as burns, suicide, homicide, road traffic accident and drowning
• Severely decomposed body
• Any objection to donation, from the next of kin of the deceased.

Ans: The body should be sent as early as possible to the Department. Ideally, the body has to reach the Anatomy Department within 6-8 hrs after death, as the process of decomposition starts immediately after death, in the body. If there is going to be an expected time delay, then it is suggested that the body be stored in a dead body freezer box. However, after the death, we advise you to contact the Anatomy office at the earliest for further instructions and get necessary advice regarding the storage and transport of the body.

Ans: Yes, the eyes (cornea) can be donated up to 8 hrs after death. The other organs cannot be donated after death.

Ans: All medicolegal cases including post-mortem autopsied bodies will not be accepted as whole-body donation, as they cannot be used for teaching purpose.

Ans: The body is chemically treated with formalin based preservative solution. The preservation solution fixes the tissues of the body and prevents decomposition. This process is called embalming and it can preserve the body for many years.

Ans: It depends upon the stock availability and demand for bodies in the Department of Anatomy. Bodies are completely fixed within 6-8 months of embalming. So, the bodies can be utilised any time after 8 months. They can also be stored in preservative solution for approximately 5 years and used for academic purpose. Sometimes the bodies shall be utilized within few months of embalming for surgical skills training, which require relatively fresh body.

Ans: All donated bodies will be utilised for teaching anatomy to the medical students (including all allied health sciences), for conducting scientific research, and for providing surgical skills training to the surgeons.

Ans: Teaching faculty and Residents of Department of Anatomy of JIPMER, Puducherry and the 1st year students of MBBS, Nursing and Allied health sciences.
Faculty and residents of all the Surgical specialities use the donated bodies to practice and master surgical skills.
High school students sometimes visit the museum of Anatomy department in JIPMER as part of educational tour to gain first hands knowledge about the anatomy of human body.

Ans: The body parts will be scientifically disposed off, with sensitivity and utmost respect, based on specified international guidelines. They will either be incinerated (burnt in dedicated chambers) or buried. At all stages of its use, the body will be treated with highest order of respect.

Ans: No. It is not possible to give the body remains / ashes as per the existing protocol.

Ans: No. Once the body is donated, viewing it is not allowed.

Ans: In these circumstances, body can be stored in a dead body freezer box at the residence of the deceased, until the near relatives reach the country. Body donation formalities can be carried out after the near relatives reach the country. Please contact the Department of Anatomy for further instructions.

Ans: The body will not be accepted until all legal heirs/ near relatives/ next of kin unanimously decide about the donation. In case of any discordance, it is not possible to accept bodies owing to legal complications.

Ans: Yes. You can withdraw the registration for body donation at any point of time.

Ans. Yes. The next of kin of the diseased or the person in lawful possession of the body will be responsible for disposal of the body of the person after death. Hence, even though a person has registered himself as a voluntary whole-body donor, the final consent should be given by the next of kin/near relative/legal heir of the deceased or the person in lawful possession of the body.
Hence, it is important for the donor to discuss their intension to donate their body after their death, with all the near relatives, so that they will carry out the donors’ wish of body donation.

Ans: Yes, the body can be handed over to the Department of Anatomy after all the religious rituals are conducted at the home of the deceased. If the religious rituals go beyond the working hours of the Department of Anatomy, then the handover of the body should be done at the Emergency Medical Services Department (casualty department) of JIPMER.
Please discuss this with the faculty of the Department of Anatomy, beforehand.

Ans: A certificate of acknowledgement and appreciation for whole-body donation will be given by the Department of Anatomy, immediately after donation, which can be submitted to the municipal corporation for registering death and obtaining the certificate of death from the concerned authority.

Ans: As embalming changes colour and chemical composition of body fluids, it will destroy all evidence of any foul play before death, if the death has occurred at home of the deceased. Therefore, no objection certificate from police is required for all cases of body donation, if the death has occurred outside the JIPMER hospital.

Ans: Yes. It is advised to discuss this issue with the faculty of Department of Anatomy as the scenario varies on case-to-case basis.

Ans: As per the current legal provisions, only a legal heir/near relative/next of kin of the deceased or an authorised officer (Jurisdictional Police inspector) can donate the body of the deceased to the medical college, for medical education and research purpose. Please contact the faculty of the Department of Anatomy for further information.

Ans: Almost every religion including Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism supports the noble gesture of helping the humanity by voluntary organ and whole-body donation. Service to the mankind is considered as the biggest virtue of all religions. Hence, donating the body for altruistic reasons is the greatest service, one can do and be useful even after death.

Ans: There are no costs involved in donation of one’s body to the medical college.

Ans: No. A physical copy of all the documents should be submitted in person during the time of handing over the body, as they need to be verified before accepting the body.