Chandigarh: Fresh organ donation at PGI takes this year’s total to 35

A recent study conducted by PGI found that proactive and positive media engagement has increased the cadaver organ donation rate at the Institute. Express Archives

The Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on Tuesday conducted yet another cadaver donation at the Institute, taking the total number of cases to 35 this year. According to a PGI statement, with the cadaver donation of a brain dead patient, two others have got a new lease of life.

The victim, identified as Vikram (22), had suffered serious injuries in an accident in Karnal last month, following which he was initially rushed to Kalpana Chawla Hospital in Karnal and then sent to PGI. “PGIMER declared him brain dead on October 1 after following the protocols of THOA. It was then the issue of organ donation was flagged to the family by the Transplant Coordinators at PGIMER. Following the consent of the family, the kidneys of the donor were retrieved and transplanted to two critical patients suffering from terminal kidney ailments,” the statement said.

The victim’s mother said that even as it was not at all easy to say “yes to organ donation. “The only thought that enabled us go ahead with this decision was that we might be able to save some other parents the agony and suffering of a life time of losing their children,” she said.  Recently, a study conducted by PGI found that proactive and positive media engagement has increased the cadaver organ donation rates at the Institute.

PGIMER is the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization(ROTTO) for the north Indian states and is also reporting to National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO)- a national level organization under the health ministry to promote organ donation. This year, the institute has already performed 35 cadaver donation cases, while in 2015 and 2016 the cases were 26 and 27 respectively.