Army hospital shows the way

[sajiv]

NEW DELHI: Lt-Col. Giriraj Singh, a radiologist at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in the Capital, has given a new lease of life to two persons by consenting to donate the organs of his 76-year-old father, H. S. Gujral, who was declared brain-dead after a road accident on Tuesday.

Doctors at the hospital transplanted his kidney and liver to two young soldiers suffering from terminal organ failure. While the other kidney was given to the Organ Retrieval Banking Organisation for transplantation at AIIMS, the corneas have been preserved to give eyesight to two needy patients.

"This was the 16th multiple organ donation conducted at the Army's premier hospital. A total of 62 patients have been declared brain-dead at the hospital and 41 cases were counselled for organ donation. However, families of only 16 victims volunteered to donate the organs of their loved ones," said Brigadier A. K. Sharma of the hospital.

"The low awareness about brain death and organ donation in our country is a matter of concern," said Lieutenant-General O. P. Mathew, Commandant of the Hospital.

In another medical feat, the hospital on December 29 transplanted a part of the liver from a mother to a 12-year-old boy. Akash Verma, son of retired Havildar O. P. Verma of Lakhimpur Kheri near Lucknow, was suffering from progressive liver failure due to "Budd Chiari' syndrome resulting in blockage of hepatic veins and preventing blood from going out of the liver. Akash is now recuperating in the hospital and is eager to go back to school after receiving a second life from 41-year old mother Suman.

The armed forces took a lead in organ donation by setting up the Armed Forces Organ Retrieval and Transplantation Authority based in the R&R Hospital in April 2007. The hospital has conducted 17 deceased-donor liver transplants, the most such cases performed by any institution in the country.

An awareness campaign in the armed forces has resulted in over 3,000 soldiers and their dependents pledging organ donation. Senior officers and commanders have motivated their rank and file by taking the lead in pledging organ donation.