Act of generosity: Brain dead woman’s family sets example

A moment of grief for one family turned into a beacon of hope for multiple others after a 56-year-old patient, admitted to the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), was declared brain dead, and the family took the courageous decision of donating her organs.

The DMCH also achieved a remarkable milestone in the field of organ transplantation and medical care on Saturday. In a life-saving initiative, the hospital successfully conducted an in-house cadaveric organ retrieval and transplantation.

With the collaborative efforts of teams of critical care, liver transplant and anaesthesia doctors, the donor’s organs were successfully retrieved.

The liver of the deceased was transplanted at the DMCH by an in-house liver transplant team to a patient battling cirrhosis, and both kidneys were shifted to two private hospitals through a green corridor and both corneas were preserved in the corneal bank to restore vision for two individuals in need.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Gursagar Singh Sahota, chief liver transplant surgeon, DMCH, said the patient was suffering from liver damage for long and was in urgent need of a liver transplant. This noble act of the donor’s family gave a new lease of life to the patient.

DMCH Principal Dr GS Wander appreciated the team and acknowledged their hard work. He said every organ donor was a hero and left behind a legacy.

The donor’s body was escorted back to her residence with honour and a heartfelt tribute was paid by hospital staff.