67-year-old woman’s organs save three

Family volunteered when they were told she had suffered irreversible brain damage

A 67-year-old woman’s organs gave life to three end-stage organ failure patients on Friday. This was the city’s first cadaver donation this month.

The organs of the Napean-Sea-Road-resident, who had been admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after she suddenly collapsed at home, were donated to Saifee Hospital in Charni Road.

“She (name withheld) collapsed while she was praying at home,” said Dr Shabina from Saifee Hospital. “The family was shocked as she never had any ailments and had not complained of any pain either.”

Doctors said the deceased donor had developed intracranial bleeding- a condition where the blood vessels in the brain rupture or start leaking. She was a well-known tuition teacher in south Mumbai.

“Once all medical interventions proved futile, the family decided to donate the organs and help save lives of others,” said Dr Shabina.

As the family was aware about organ donation, the process was smoothly facilitated.

The woman’s liver was transplanted to a patient admitted at Global Hospital in Parel. The 45-year-old man had been waiting for a liver transplant for over a year.

One of the kidneys was transported to Nanavati Hospital, where it was transplanted to a 28-year-old man. He was undergoing dialysis regularly as his kidneys were not functioning optimally.

The other kidney was transported to a 43-year-old man at Saifee Hospital, who had been waiting for a kidney since five years.

This is the fifth cadaver donation of the year. Last year 42 cadaver donations were facilitated at different hospitals.

Public hospitals have not facilitated any cadaver donation this year, said doctors working for improving cadaver donation programmes in the city. All the five donations this year were reported from private hospitals which have active transplant programmes.

“We have asked all hospitals to submit the number of brain-dead patients identified in their intensive care unit. This will help us find out if the hospitals are working for the cause,” said a senior official from state health department.