73-year-old brain dead patient’s kin gift life to 3

Mumbai: The family of a 73-year-old Kalachowkie resident, Chhabu Salunke, donated her liver and kidneys after she was declared brain dead, thereby saving the lives of three patients suffering from end-stage organ failure. With Salunke being the 50th deceased donor in the city this year, the city has equalled last year's donations.
"The increase in deceased donations this year is very heartening.It is a result of the collective efforts of intensivists, neuro experts, coordinators, and hospital administrators," said Dr S K Mathur of the Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC), which distributes donated organs among hospitals in the city.
Dr Mathur said that the increase in donations is also due to "increased public awareness" about organ donation after brain stem death. "Many families come forward by themselves to donate organs of a deceased family member," he added.
In 2024, the 50 donations so far have resulted in 143 organs being retrieved. In 2023, 144 people got a new lease on life due to the organ donations of 50 brain dead patients, whereas in 2022, 124 people got a new start due to 47 brain dead donors. The city registered the highest number of donations in 2019 (79), but there was a huge slump in 2020 with 30 donations because of the Covid pandemic and lockdown.
In Salunke's case, she was admitted to Gleneagles Hospital in Parel after suffering a brain stroke last Thursday. The doctors declared her brain dead on Saturday night, and her family agreed to donate her organs.