The kidneys of a 65-year-old man, the father of a serving Indian Army soldier who suffered brain damage following an accident, saved the lives of two ailing patients, including the wife of another soldier.
The Defence PRO, Pune, in a statement said, тАЬThe 65-year-old father of a serving soldier suffered extensive brain damage following an accident and was found to be brain dead when he was brought to the hospital. Rest of his organs such as heart, kidneys, liver, eyes and lungs were still functioning. The patientтАЩs family members were approached by the hospital staff and explained the entire situation. With kindness in their hearts, they consented to donating the kidneys of their patient.тАЭ
The release added, тАЬOn March 15, at the appropriate time, the team of doctors retrieved both the kidneys from the deceased patient and immediately transplanted them into a 36-year-old lady, wife of another Indian Army soldier at Command Hospital (SC) and a 36-year-old male patient admitted to a hospital in Nashik.тАЭ
The statement further said, тАЬA large number of patients with kidney failure otherwise die just waiting for organs for transplantation. The humane act of the family members of the deceased person in this case was life saving for two patients, waiting desperately for such an act.тАЭ
Earlier in February, in a first-of-its-kind development in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), the Army Organ Retrieval and Transplant Authority (AORTA) coordinated an inter-hospital transfer of a heart for transplant.
The organ donor was a 40-year-old veteran who had sustained a road accident on February 8 in Bhind in Madhya Pradesh. He was taken to a local civil hospital where he was put on life support and was brought to Army Hospital, Research & Referral (AHRR), New Delhi on February 9. He had severe head injury and was declared brain dead on the morning of February 11 by the critical care team of AHRR. The family of the veteran had voluntarily decided to go for multiple organ donations.
