Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a heartwarming and life-changing event, a 25-year-old labourer from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, who met with a fatal accident in Mapusa, Goa, has given new life to five individuals through his organ donation. Despite the best medical efforts, the young man suffered severe brain injury and was declared brain dead.
The pivotal decision to donate his organs was made by his wife, who demonstrated extraordinary courage and selflessness in the face of tragedy. The donor, a construction site worker in Bicholim, leaves behind his wife and three children.
The brain stem death certification was conducted by Dr. Teresa Ferreira, Professor and Head of the Department of Neurology at Goa Medical College (GMC), and Dr. Rukma Kolwalkar, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at GMC. This process was facilitated under the leadership of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who has been instrumental in growing the organ donation and transplant program in Goa.
The organs were allocated to various recipients through the State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (SOTTO) at Goa Medical College. The kidneys were transplanted into two female patients, aged 35 and 36, while the heart was allocated to a 55-year-old male at H.N. Reliance Hospital in Mumbai. The liver was given to a 39-year-old male at Zydus Hospital in Ahmedabad, and the lungs, due to the absence of a suitable recipient in the region, were allocated to Apollo Hospital in Delhi through the National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO).
As a gesture of gratitude, Prof. Dr. S.M. Bandekar, Dean of Goa Medical College, ensured that the mortal remains of the organ donor were transported to his native village in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
The success of this organ donation was made possible by the creation of three Green Corridors, facilitated by excellent coordination between SOTTO Goa, EMRI 108, Goa Police Traffic Cell, and officials from Manohar International Airport and Dabolim International Airport. Airport authorities gave top priority to the teams transporting the organs, ensuring their smooth and timely delivery.
This selfless act of organ donation underscores the importance of every stakeholder’s involvement, including the medical fraternity, administrative departments, traffic cells, airport authorities, and most crucially, the generosity of the donor’s family. This heroic gesture has brought new hope to five families.
