Barnala resident was an acid attack victim

Ritika Jha Palial

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 11

Ashok Kumar, the donor, who used to run a department store in Barnala, had been living with burn injuries for the past 20 years. “A group of miscreants had poured acid on him in Barnala in 1995,” said Surinder Kumar, Ashok’s elder brother.

“He could not get married. He had expressed a strong desire to donate his organs after he was diagnosed with the chronic ailment,” Surinder said. Ashok’s condition deteriorated six months ago when he reported severe pain in the eyes and head and was diagnosed with acoustic schwanomma at the PGI and operated upon.

Ashok’s heart could not be utilised for donation. His younger sister, who signed the documents for donation, was also injured during the acid attack on Ashok. The entire family has pledged for organ donation with a sangh in Barnala.

This is the second case of multi-organ donation reported from the PGI. In August last year, a 40-year-old woman from Ambala district had given consent to donate organs of her brain dead husband, Kashmir Singh. Kashmir Singh worked as a head constable with the Punjab Police and was posted at Nawanshahr. He died of head injury sustained during an accident. 

Five patients, including one with heart failure, two others with renal failure (kidney) and another two with damaged cornea, were benefited from the transplant.