Karnataka: Brain dead patient's family consents to organ donation

MANIPAL: A gesture from the husband and family of a brain dead patient is all set to give a new lease of life to seven patients. While the corneas and a kidney from the patient will be provided to patients in Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, the liver would be airlifted by helicopter from Kasturba Hospital, Manipal to a patient in Bengaluru. Likewise, two heart valves would be used on a patient from Bengaluru, and one kidney for a patient in Mangaluru.
Dr Avinash Shetty, medical superintendent, Kasturba Hospital here said Nirmala Bhat, wife of Vasudev Bhat from Karkala met with a road accident at Tellar Road at Mathr Nivas near Ravalnath Temple in Karkala on June 22 and was referred to Kasturba Hospital.She was admitted to ICU around 1am the next day and was declared brain dead at 12.30pm on June 25 as per protocol stipulated by Transplantation of Human Organ Act 1994 by a board of doctors.
There was no chance that Nirmala Bhat would recover from this condition or regain her consciousness and her breathing was supported by the ventilator so as to harvest organs for transplantation namely two heart valves, both corneas, kidneys and the liver. Vasudev Bhat and the family based on decision of the board declaring her brain dead, expressed their willingness to donate her organs, Dr Avinash Shetty said.
As decided by the Transplantation Authority, corneas and one kidney would be provided to patients admitted in Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. The liver harvested by surgeons from B G S Hospital, Bengaluru for the identified patient would be airlifted and two heart valves would be used on a patient from Bengaluru and one kidney on a patient in Mangaluru, Dr Avinash said, adding that seven needy patients would receive extension of lives through transplantation.