Accident victim gives new lease of life to six patients through organ donation in Karnataka

UDUPI: A road traffic accident victim has helped six patients through organ donation.

In an accident that took place at Maravanthe, on February 25, at 1.30pm Koderi Shilpa Madhav (44) a resident of Uppunda in Byndoor in Udupi district of Karnataka sustained severe injuries and was admitted to Kasturba Hospital, Manipal for further treatment on the same day.

According to Dr Avinash Shetty, medical superintendent, despite the doctors’ efforts to salvage her, the prognosis was poor and she did not show any signs of recovery.

The woman was declared brain dead by the panel of expert doctors as per the protocol stipulated by the Transplantation of Human Organ Act officially twice.

The first was at 6.29pm on Sunday and the second was at 1.35am on Monday.

Subsequently, her husband Prasanna Kumar and family members expressed their willingness to donate viable organs to save other needy patients’ lives.

As per Jeevasarthakathe, SOTTO, Bengaluru protocols and decisions, the liver was sent to Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, one kidney was sent to AJ Hospital, Mangaluru and one kidney, corneas and skin were retained by Kasturba Hospital, Manipal for the registered patients.

The family maintained that “Organ donation is a noble cause and Shilpa has committed a great deed even in her death.”

Dr Avinash Shetty said, “The decision by the family to donate the victim’s organs shows the changing mindset of people in this noble cause. This is a welcome change and needs to be emulated by many people.”

The harvested organs were transferred to the recipient hospitals with the support of the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district police departments from Manipal to Mangaluru via a green corridor.