Chandigarh bus driver gives new lease of life to four

The family of a 33-year-old school bus driver from Fatehgarh Sahib donated his organs following his death in a road accident, lending a new lease on life to four people.

The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) facilitated the process, ensuring that the donor Jatinder Singh’s heart, liver and kidneys were donated.

Jatinder Singh, a resident of Anaitpura, Saidpura in Fatehgarh Sahib, suffered severe head injuries in an accident on February 12. Despite the best efforts of doctors at PGIMER, he was declared brain dead on February 22, following mandatory brain stem death certification procedures.

Jatinder Singh’s father, Kesar Singh, later consented to organ donation. His heart, liver and both kidneys were successfully transplanted to critically ill patients.

Expressing his feelings, Kesar Singh said, “Losing a son is unbearable, but knowing that he continues to live on through others gives us strength. If his donation can save lives, it is the least we can do to honor his memory.”

PGIMER Director Vivek Lal, meanwhile, said, “Organ donation is the purest expression of humanity, where loss transforms into hope. Jatinder Singh’s family has demonstrated incredible selflessness, and their noble gesture will inspire many others to embrace the gift of life.”

Medical Superintendent and Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) nodal officer Vipin Koushal emphasised noted that timely intervention and seamless coordination between medical teams and the donor family were crucial in ensuring successful transplants, adding, “Jatinder Singh’s legacy will live on, not only through the lives he has saved but also through the awareness this act generates.”