Times of India
23, February 2010
By Malathy Iyer
Mumbai, India

Last week, the family of a 58–year–old man donated his two kidneys and liver after he was declared brain dead at Hinduja Hospital in Mahim. Similarly, the family of a 21–year–old woman, who was suffering from kidney failure, slipped into the brain death stage, after which her family donated her healthy liver to another patient. “Her family was highly motivated towards donating her liver as they had experienced the misery of organ failure,” said an official of Lilavati Hospital in Bandra Reclamation.

In the third case, the family of a 35–year–old man from Dombivli on January 29, donated his kidneys after he suffered a stroke and was subsequently declared brain dead at a well–known hospital in the eastern suburbs.

Brain death is a condition in which the brain stem suffers irreversible damage. However, if such a patient’s organs are retrieved before he\she completely collapses, then they can be transplanted in others.

The city witnessed record number of such cadaver donations last year, with 35 kidneys and five livers being donated across various city hospitals–Mumbai’s last cadaver transplant was carried out on New Year’s Eve.

According to doctors, the 58–year–old donor was brought to hospital on February 19 with brain haemorrhage after he suffered a stroke. “He had hypertension and diabetes for many years,” said his brother who didn’t want to be named. The donor was reportedly a regular at KEM Hospital, Parel, for helping patients.

“One of his kidneys and liver were transplanted to patients enrolled with Hinduja Hospital for transplants. The second kidney was given to a patient registered for transplant at H N Hospital, Girgaum,” said Dr G B Daver, Hinduja Hospital’s medical director who performed the liver transplant along with Dr Sudeep Shah.

On February 17, a 21–year–old Kandivli resident was declared brain dead at Lilavati Hospital where she had recently undergone a kidney transplant operation. “A relative had donated her a kidney, but it had failed. When she was declared brain dead, her family donated her liver,” said Dr Sharad Shah, transplant coordinator at Lilavati.

There was little information available about the 35–year–old Dombivli resident who, too, succumbed to brain haemorrhage.

According to Dr Daver, who is also the president of the Zonal Transplantation Coordination Centre (ZTCC) which coordinates cadaver donations, “It is a positive sign that families are willingly donating organs of the brain dead. It goes a long way in reducing the burden of organ failure in society.”

This Year’s First Cadaver Donations

• In 2009, Mumbai saw the highest number of organ donations: 35 kidneys and five livers. The previous high was 22 kidneys.
• In 2010, the city has registered 4 kidneys and 2 livers.
• For details on organ donation, interested persons can call up ZTCC’s office in Sion Hospital on 24028197