Organ donation at PGI: With 10 transplants, 2016 signals a success story

Taking into account that the number of donations has doubled from that of last year in the first five months itself, the organ donation programme at PGI is showing promising signs of becoming a success story.

In 2015, a total number of 25 brain-dead organ donations were reported at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER); the number being five till May 2015. This year, however, the number has doubled – 10 brain-dead organ donations have been registered so far.

People behind the success story of organ donations at PGI

On Friday (May 13) and Saturday, families of two brain-dead organ donors gave their consent to go ahead with the donations. On Saturday, thanks to consent from family, the kidneys and corneas of Jasbir Singh, a 30-year-old brain-dead donor, impacted four lives.

Jasbir met with an accident in the Chandimandir area on May 12, and was rushed to General Hospital, Sector 6, Panchkula, from where he was transferred to PGIMER on the same day. On Friday, at around 6.30pm, doctors declared him brain-dead.

The Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (ROTTO) at PGIMER immediately got in touch with the national body to look for recipients at a nearby hospital.

“As assigned by NOTTO, the harvested kidneys were handed over to Fortis Hospital in Mohali for two patients. To facilitate transport, a green corridor was created between PGIMER and Fortis with the active support of police,” said the PGI official.

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The organ donation was facilitated through National Organ and Tissue Transplant Programme (NOTP), the Centre’s deceased donor organ transplantation initiative.

“His tragic death did not go in vain. He will continue to live through four others, who have now got a fresh lease of life because of Jasbir’s kindness and generosity as an organ donor,” said an emotional Som Nath, Jasbir’s father.

Earlier on Friday (May 13), another brain-dead patient Pawan Kumar (55) was able to impact four lives when his family agreed for donation.

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Pawan Kumar, a resident of Rasulpur, in Yamunanagar, was working at the education department in Chachrauli, Haryana. He too met with an accident on May 7 and was rushed to PGI. He was declared brain-dead on Thursday (May 12).

Dr Vipin Koushal, nodal officer, ROTTO, said, “It is a positive change. They are coming forward for organ donation putting aside their own loss.”