Ganga Ram's owner donates his liver and kidney at 88
Sir Ganga Ram's grandson, Tej Ram, 88, who died of brain haemorrhage earlier this week, donated his liver and kidneys. Three patients have benefited from the same. Jaya Shroff Bhalla reports.
Sir Ganga Ram's grandson, Tej Ram, 88, who died of brain haemorrhage earlier this week, donated his liver and kidneys. Three patients have benefited from the same.
"He (Tej Ram) had expressed his desire to donate his organs after death at a casual family dinner and this helped us take the decision rather quickly. His daughter (Vinita) told us that he wanted his organs to be useful after his death, so once the doctors declared him brain dead, it was a quick call," said Dr A K Seth, his nephew and secretary of the board of trust, SGRH.
This was the only case of brain dead transplant reported from the hospital this year. The hospital also did 11 successful cadaveric transplants, where they transplanted kidneys, liver and the heart in one case.
"The problem is that family is always reluctant to donate the body organs even after the patient is declared brain dead. The family usually wants to keep the patient on the ventilator that keeps the heart pumping blood and keeps their false hopes of getting the person back, alive," said D S Rana, chairman and senior nephrologist at SGRH.
10 people die every day waiting for a vital organ. Only a dismal 5% of those on a waiting list manage to get the organ in time, the rest die waiting.
"The current demand for kidney transplants is 1, 50,000, for livers is, 2, 00,000 and heart is 1, 50,000. But in India, we are only doing 3000 kidney transplants and 500 liver transplants because there are not enough donors," said Harsha Jauhari, chairperson, department of renal transplant surgery.