The family of a 50-year-old brain-dead computer operator saw life even in his death.
His vital kidneys and liver saved three lives while his corneas were donated. All this was thanks to the Zonal Coordination Committee for Karnataka (ZCCK), which coordinated the organ harvesting and transplants on Monday and Tuesday.
ZCCK Secretary D. Ramesh told The Hindu the Ulsoor resident, who suffered cerebral haemorrhage, had been hospitalised since October 29. “According to his relatives (he is survived by his wife and two children), he had long ago told his family that his organs should be donated after death.”
One kidney was donated to a patient in the state-run Institute of Nephro Urology and it was successfully transplanted there on Tuesday.
Hospital Director G.K. Venkatesh, who also heads the State Authorisation Committee for Organ Transplants, said the recipient was from a BPL family and the required clearances under the state-sponsored Kidney Suraksha scheme (through the Chief Minister's Relief Fund) were obtained over telephone on Monday night. While the other kidney and liver were transplanted successfully on two patients in Manipal Hospital while the corneas when to the Lions' Eye Bank.
ZCCK, set up by the Government in 2005, has coordinated 24 multi-organ donations so far. This is the third donation coordinated this year. Right now the organisation has 710 people registered with it, waiting for organs, Dr. Ramesh said. While 619 of them are waiting for kidneys, 55 are in line for liver transplants. As many as 27 have registered for heart valves, three for lungs, two for kidney plus pancreas, one for liver and kidney and three for heart and lung.
Hotline
More than 1,600 people have pledged their organs with ZCCK so far. They have been given pledge cards which they have to carry all the time.
ZCCK can be contacted on its 24-hour hotline number 9845006768 or at zcckbangalore@gmail.com Log on to www.zcck.in
