Two brain-dead patients give lives to three

Pandian (40) who hailed from Villupuram district, met with an accident in Cuddalore recently. He was admitted to Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre with head injuries. However, he did not respond to treatment and was declared brain dead on September 15. Subashree, his wife agreed to donate her husband’s organs after much counselling. His heart, liver, kidneys and cornea were harvested.

Similarly, Elumalai (42), a fruit vendor from Ambattur, had been admitted to the center with bleeding in his brain. After he was declared brain-dead early this month, his wife Renuka came forward to donate his liver and heart valves. Liver from both the patients were transplanted on to a man (47) from Andhra and another patient (44) from Uttar Pradesh. The kidney was fixed on a patient from Neyveli.

Other harvested organs such as the heart, heart valves and kidney were sent to other hospitals in the city. Dr Hariprasad D, medical director, SRMC, said, “With growing awareness about organ donation, families are usually willing. The numbers of those in need of organs are always high and it is families like these that help them.”