The meaning behind the green light: How UMMC honours organ donors
The quiet glow serves as a reminder to the public that a patient has received the "gift of life" from a donor who has passed on.
SHAH ALAM – If you have ever noticed a green light illuminating a hospital building at night, it signifies that an organ donation surgery has just been completed.
The quiet glow serves as a reminder to the public that a patient has received the "gift of life" from a donor who has passed on.
The phenomenon gained attention following a post on the Threads platform by user @afiq__, who stated that the specific lighting observed at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) carried a significant meaning.
“Have you ever passed in front of Universiti Malaya Medical Centre at night and noticed a green light shining on the building?
“Many people do not know that the green light is the sign that an organ donation surgery has been completed,” the post read.
The post initially met with scepticism, with some users debating whether the colour was part of an Earth Day theme.
However, the UMMC administration later confirmed the claim in the same thread.
“For cases of organ donation, whether from a living donor or a deceased donor, the symbolic colour representing a patient receiving this benefit is green,” UMMC clarified.
An earlier statement published by the centre in July 2024 described green as a blend of blue and yellow, commonly representing calmness and the natural world.
“Green sends the message that another life has been saved because an organ donor existed. Organ donation pledge letters also often recognise green as a symbol of fresh hope for our patients,” the statement added.
A recent account shared on Monday detailed an organ transplant that took place on Jan 3, involving the transfer of organs to several different hospitals.
“A chosen person has left us and before leaving, they managed to provide the most valuable gift to others.
“Imagine, amidst the sadness of separation, there occurred an extraordinary ‘relay of life’,” the centre wrote.
UMMC confirmed that one kidney remained for a patient at their facility, while the other was sent to Hospital Selayang.
Additionally, a pair of corneas was sent to Hospital Sungai Buloh and a donated heart valve was delivered to the National Heart Institute (IJN).
“When we reflect on it, the body may no longer be present, but their righteousness continues to live on through others,” UMMC added.
The centre expressed its deepest gratitude to the donor's family for their remarkable strength and resilience during their time of grief.
Public registration for organ donation in Malaysia can be completed digitally through the MySejahtera application.
Manual forms are also available at government hospitals and health centres.
All age groups are eligible to pledge; however, individuals under the age of 18 require parental consent.
Such pledges provide vital hope to the thousands of patients currently on medical waiting lists.
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