55-year-old gives five patients new lease of life

Five patients suffering from organ failure got the gift of life when the family of a 55-year-old south Mumbai resident donated his organs
recently.
The patient was admitted to Hinduja Hospital, Mahim, on Wednesday with an intracranial bleed and was declared brain dead (irreversible loss of brain function).

"His family donated his liver, two kidneys and eyes, thus letting us help five patients,'' said Dr Gustad Daver, medical director, Hinduja Hospital and vice-president, Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC). In Mumbai, this is the seventh organ donation this year. "There were five donations in January, one in February and one this week, resulting in 14 kidney donations,'' said ZTCC coordinator Sujata Ashtekar.

Although this year, donations are better than those in previous years (16 kidney donations in 2008 and 14 in 2007), a lot more needs to be done given the load of patients with kidney and liver failure in the country, said ZTCC officials. The state government observed an Organ Donation Day on March 28 to promote the concept