Barriers in Body Donations for Anatomy Teaching: Lessons Learned From Students and Donors

Introduction Cadaveric dissection has remained the mainstay of anatomy teaching. However, there is an acute shortage of cadavers for teaching undergraduate students, postgraduates, and specialists, and to supplement the gap, voluntary body donation is gaining momentum. The present study aims to explore the barriers to body donations for anatomical dissection. Methods A descriptive study was undertaken among medical students and registered voluntary body donors at a medical college in the Upper Assam region of India from January 2024 to March 2024. Results The majority of the first-year MBBS medical students (129 out of 161; 80.1%) were found to be not willing to donate their bodies for anatomical dissection. There was no statistically significant difference in the age, gender, and religion of the participants. The primary reasons for students' reluctance to donate were emotional attachments to themselves, their family members, their religion, and their preferences on social customs for the disposal of the dead. Among the registered voluntary body donors, the most common source of information for the body donation program was an awareness program conducted by NGOs involved in the promotion of body donation. Altruism was the most common motivation for getting registered for body donation. Provision of cadavers for research and training was the most common reason for registration for donation, whereas lack of information was the most common barrier. All the participants wanted due respect for the donated bodies from the doctors, students, and staff during handling. Conclusion The mere possession of knowledge regarding body donation does not increase participation in the actual process. Personal beliefs, repeated motivations by voluntary organizations and registered donors, proper utilization of the bodies, and setting examples in ethical handling of the donated bodies in the dissection hall may greatly improve the body donation program.