Assam: Singer Sudakshina Sarma’s eyes, body donated for medical research

GUWAHATI: Honouring her will, eminent singer Sudakshina Sarma’s eyes and body were donated to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for medical research by her family members on Monday without any delay after her demise in the morning.

A senior doctor of GMCH, on condition of anonymity, said, “Eye donation was completed after the body was handed over to the hospital as the process has to be completed within 4-6 hours after death. The whole body has been kept for medical research.”

The doctor added that as far as organ donation is concerned, only eye donation is performed here in Assam. “Donation of other organs is not done in Assam due to lack of infrastructure. Apart from eye donation, the whole body is donated to the anatomy department for medical research,” the doctor added.

The doctor added that the infrastructure, if developed in Assam, will help people donate other organs which will save many lives.

“A person, after death, can save lives of at least eight persons, having less chance of survival, through donation of several vital organs. On the other hand, several disabilities can be removed using various organs of a body. Donation of skin can help people suffering burn injuries,” the doctor said.

The body was donated through the Ellora Vigyan Mancha (EVM), an organisation that has been campaigning for and encouraging voluntary blood donation and eye and organ donation or whole body donation after one’s death for transplantation or for enrichment of medical science and benefit of mankind.

The general secretary of the Mancha, Kamalesh Gupta, said the will for eye and whole body donation for medical research purpose was signed by the singer during Rongali Bihu in April, when the Mancha members went to extend Bihu greetings. She was bedridden then. The will was signed in the presence of Gupta and Jagadish Dutta as witness and it was handed over to the anatomy department of the GMCH by her daughter-in-law Hirashri Sarma on Monday.

He said, “Sudakshina baideo was closely associated with the Mancha since its inception in 2004. She was adviser to the Mancha. With her whole body donation, the Mancha has completed 198 such donations in various medical colleges, including AIIMS. Her husband, Dilip Sarma, who died in 2008, had also donated his eyes through the Mancha.”

Gupta said the initiative of organ and whole body donation by Sudakshina Sarma will inspire many others.