CHANDIGARH: 1 September : “As the attending doctors uttered that they are doing everything they can, but the situation is grim, we, kind of, understood that our son, our bundle of joy, has been snatched from us by the cruel fate. “
“For all these days, since Satinder met with this fatal accident on 14th August, we were at bedside praying for a miracle.“But who could have imagined that that our precious son Satinder was to be the miracle. He became miracle to all those who got another chance at life because of my son’s organ donation,” stated Balwinder Singh, the brave heart father of donor Satinder Singh, as he was being handed over the mortal remains of his demised son at the mortuary at PGIMER today.
Due to the incredible decision taken in their darkest hour, the donor family of Satinder Singh gave a new lease of life to four people with the transplantation of heart, liver and kidneys. The retrieved corneas will restore the sight of another two patients post transplantation. This way, in all, six lives will be impacted with this generous gesture of the donor family at PGIMER.
Commending his team for this leap forward in the transplant surgery by successfully accomplishing fifth heart transplant, Prof.Jagat Ram, Director, PGIMER Chandigarh stated, “Despite cadaver donor organ transplants picking up at a consistent pace in different pockets in the country, heart transplants are still very uncommon. This is partly because the surgery is complex and technically demanding and also because there are not too many usable hearts. Even the recipients too have to be selected very carefully for these procedures. So it is really heartening that today, PGIMER has to its credit the successfully accomplished fifth heart transplant and all those involved in this complex operation including anaesthetists, cardiologists, cardiovascular & thoracic surgeons, transplant coordinators, testing labs, technical and nursing staff deserve appreciation.” .
Earlier, the donor Satinder Singh, 23 year old youth from village Kurali, district Rupnagar, Punjab was rushed to PGIMER in an extremely critical condition on 16thAugust after he was referred here from a local hospital in Kurali, where he was taken after sustaining grievous head injury in a road side accident on the night of 14thAugust.
However, Satinder’s long struggle between life and death came to a halt when he was declared brain dead yesterday at 3 pm by the Brain Death Certification Committee after duly following the protocols of THOA 2011.
The family showcased exemplary courage and consented for organ donation when the matter was discussed with them. Following their consent, the heart, liver, kidneys and cornea were retrieved from the donor for transplantation to the matching recipients here in PGIMER.
Detailing about the latest case of Organ Donation, Prof. A.K.Gupta, Medical Superintendent cum Head, Deptt. Of Hospital administration, PGIMER stated,“ For any family, this is a heart-wrenching loss. But families like that of deceased Satinder who have the heart to make an offer in the most tragic moments of their life definitely instil a sense of confidence and provide a ray of hope to the ever increasing wait-listed recipients.”
Echoing the same sentiments, Prof. Vipin Koushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO PGIMER stated, “ One interaction with terminally ill organ failure patients would be sufficient to reveal how painful and hopeless their lives are and how even daily routine chores are an ordeal for them. Therefore, we all must come forward and join hands to save precious lives by pledging for organ donation. This will be a real tribute to the magnanimous gesture of the donor families like that of Satinder Singh.”