Kolkata Youth’s Organ Donation at Apollo Saves Three Lives

Kolkata: A 20-year-old brain dead youth’s organs are set to save at least three lives struggling organ failure and show the light to another battling blindness. The liver and kidneys of the Sukumar Sarkar were transplanted into three patients in three different hospitals in the city while his cornea has been banked. This deceased organ donation in Kolkata comes after a gap of three months.Sukumar Sarkar’s maiden joy ride on this new bike proved fatal for him on May 31. Family sources said he had secured himself a job in a private back about six months ago while he was still pursuing his graduation over distance education. A bike enthusiast, he saved money and purchase the bike and came back home from the showroom last Sunday.“He went out again at night to take a spin on his bike and met with an accident in New Town and suffered a severe head injury,” said Chittabrata Naha, a neighbour who is also the friend of the donor’s father Manabendra SarkarThe resident of Hatiara, New Town lost control over his bike and collided with a mini truck near Eco Park. First rushed to the nearest hospital, his friends shifted him to Apollo Multispecialty Hospital (AMH) that night itself.Admitted under neurosurgeon Debarshi Chatterjee, the family said a team of doctors had tried their best to save Sukumar. But despite all efforts the team told the family that he was brain dead.“In the midst of unimaginable grief, his parents displayed extraordinary courage, compassion, and humanity by agreeing to donate his organs,” said a hospital source.ROTTO (East) was informed after the 20-year-old was declared brain dead. ROTTO allocated the liver to AMH, a kidney to IPMGER-SSKM, the sedond kidney to RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences and the cornea went to Disha Eye Bank.Sources said while the donor’s heart and lungs were also fit enough for transplant, these organs were offered to other states as no matching recipient were found in Bengal. On finding no response from other states, the three organs and cornea were harvested.This year, Bengal has logged only three deceased donations where as in 2025, by June first week, around eight donations had already taken place. All the three donations have originated from Apollo. This year not a single donation has originated from state-run IPGMER-SSKM Hospital which used to the lead deceased donation tally.