Madurai: For the first time in the history of Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH), Madurai, the organs of a brain dead person were harvested with a view to give a fresh lease of life to three persons besides giving vision to two others.
The family members a 50-year-old farmer S Nagaraj from Perumalkovilpatti village near Dindigul gave their consent for harvesting two kidneys, a liver and the eyes after he was declared 'brain dead' at 8.30 pm in GRH on Saturday.
"We transplanted a kidney to a patient in the GRH, another kidney has been transported to Government hospital in Tirunelveli and liver to Meenakshi Mission hospital here," said Dr Marudhupandian, dean (in-charge) who also heads the department of general surgery in the hospital, to reporters on Monday. The two eyes of the deceased had been harvested and donated to 'Eye Bank', GRH.
After the doctors who treated Nagaraj, informed the dean Vairamuthu Raju that the patient was brain dead, he directed the medical team to conduct Apnoea test, which give a positive result.
After informing Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN), the doctors repeated the test. "After we doubly confirmed the brain death, we started making arrangements for harvesting and transplantation of the organs," said S Venkatesh, coordinator TRANSTAN, Madurai.
He also identified the recipients based on seniority and contacted the recipient hospitals to make necessary arrangements. The medical team comprising Dr Sridharan, professor-cum-director of Institute of Anesthesia, GRH, and assistant professor Dr Siva Prasath, urology surgical treatment experts Dr Raja and Arul and Rithnavelu, professor and head of the department cardiology surgery, have harvested the organs and completed the transplantation around 3.30 am.
"A green corridor has been arranged with the assistance from police to transport a kidney to GH in Tirunelveli. It reached the hospital around 5.15 am," said Marudhupandian.
After the completion of the transplantation, the medical team paid their last respects with tearful eyes and placed a wreath on Nagaraj's body.
