In death, two give fresh lease of life to 8 at PGI

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 26

The kidneys and corneas of two persons, who lost their lives in road accidents, gave a fresh lease of life to eight patients at the PGI here.

Ashwani Kumar (54), a resident of Kaithal, met with a fatal road accident on August 14 and was immediately taken to the civil hospital there. As his condition worsened, he was rushed to the PGI. Despite the best efforts, Ashwani could not be revived and was declared brain dead on August 17.

His wife Anita said, “It’s something no family should have to go through. We said yes to organ donation because it is far better to give someone a new life than reducing these organs to ashes.”

Prof HS Kohli, Head, Department of Nephrology, PGI, said, ”Following the family’s decision, the two best matching recipients, who were suffering from end-stage debilitating kidney ailment and dependent on renal dialysis for long, were identified and retrieved kidneys were transplanted to them.”

Apart from the kidneys, the corneas of the donors were also harvested, which on transplantation, restored the eyesight of two other patients at the PGI.

Earlier on August 9, a 28-year-old youth from Punjab was hit by a speeding vehicle and suffered fatal head injuries. He was rushed to a local hospital where doctors referred him to the PGI. All efforts to save the young man proved futile and he was declared brain dead on August 13.

With the family’s generous decision, four lives were impacted with the transplantation of two kidneys and two corneas.