Hearts, liver airlifted to Delhi from Chandigarh

Two hearts and a liver, retrieved by the PGIMER from brain dead patients, were airlifted on three different flights from here to their recipients in the national capital today.
This is the first time that three organs have been sent on a single day from the Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Medical Superintendent and Head of PGIMER's hospital administration Prof Anil K Gupta said.
Green corridors were created thrice, within five hours, by the city administration to take the organs from the hospital to the airport, the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation's (NOTTO) nodal officer Dr Vipin Koushal said.

Gupta said Jagat Singh (45), a resident of Himachal Pradesh's Sirmour district was grievously injured after falling and was brought to PGIMER on April 2.
He was subsequently declared as brain dead and his heart, liver, kidneys and corneas were harvested, he said.
His heart was allocated to AIIMS and his liver to G B Pant Hospital in Delhi. The organs were sent to the airport through green corridors at 6:38 AM and 8:30 AM respectively.

Similarly, Nancy Sharma (35) from Himachal Pradesh's Paonta Sahib was admitted here and was declared brain dead on April 5, Gupta said, adding her heart, kidneys and corneas were harvested too.

Nancy's heart was allocated to Fortis Noida and was sent at 11:22 AM from here, he said.
"The bereaved families did not let these tragic deaths go in vain and consented for organ donation when the transplant coordinators raised the matter with them," the medical superintendent said, adding, subsequently, the organs were retrieved.
He said as there was no matching recipients for the hearts and liver in the hospital, the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) at PGIMER had to approach NOTTO for recipients .
The retrieved kidneys and corneas were used for matching recipients at PGIMER, Gupta said.

"Though there was huge time crunch but we ensured that the sentiments of the family are honoured. With NOTTO's quick intervention, the organs were airlifted as soon as they were retrieved," Koushal said.