MIT student declared brain dead gives life to others

MANGALURU

A student of Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), who was declared brain dead by a panel of doctors after he suffered severe injuries in a road accident, has given life to others through organ donation.

The 19-year-old student, Vemula Sudarshan Chowdary, a resident of Gurazala Mandal, Andhra Pradesh, was admitted to Kasturba Hospital in Manipal for treatment after he was injured in a road accident in Manipal at 8.40 p.m. on Sunday, Medical Superintendent of the hospital Avinash Shetty said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Despite the effort by our doctors to save him, the prognosis was poor and he did not show any signs of recovery or regain consciousness. The student’s father, Vemula Alekha Prasad, expressed his family’s willingness to donate viable organs of the victim to save the life of other needy patients. Subsequently, he was declared brain dead by the panel of expert doctors as per protocol stipulated by the Transplantation of Human Organ Act 1994 officially twice at six hours intervals. The first was at 4.10 p.m. on Tuesday and the second declaration came at 11.42 p.m. the same day,” Dr. Shetty said.

As per Jeevasarthakathe, SOTTO, Bengaluru, protocols and decisions, liver was sent to KMC Hospital, Ambedkar Circle, Mangaluru, lungs to Aster CMI, Bengaluru, one kidney to AJ Hospital and Research Centre, Mangaluru, and the other kidney, corneas/eye balls and skin were retained by Kasturba Hospital in Manipal for registered patients to save their lives, on Wednesday, he said.

The Medical Superintendent quoted the boy’s father Mr. Prasad as saying: “Organ donation is a noble cause and my son has committed a great deed even in his death.”

Dr. Shetty said: “Organ donation is a great work to save lives. I thank the family of Mr. Prasad for deciding to donate the organs of the boy. Good thing is that day by day awareness on organ donation is increasing among the people.”

The harvested organs were transferred to recipient hospitals with the support of the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada Police Department from Manipal to Mangaluru via Green Corridor.