Mumbai: After two years, the state-run Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy hospital recorded its first organ donation last week. The organs of a brain-dead 25-year-old Raigad resident, Mahesh Yerunkar, brought fresh hope to the lives of five others, who were urgently in need of transplants.
Yerunkar met with an accident on February 5, while returning home from the funeral of a relative. Around 1am, his bike was hit by a car, causing him chest, stomach and brain injuries and he subsequently began bleeding from both ears.
“After the accident, he was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital in Mangaon, which later referred him to JJ hospital. He was admitted to JJ hospital early on Saturday but was unconscious and on ventilator,” said Dr Sanjay Surase, medical superintendent, JJ hospital.
Dr Girish Bakshi, head of the department, surgery, said Mahesh’s condition was critical. He was tested twice for apnoea and was declared brain-dead later that day.
After this, social workers from the Zonal Transplant Coordination Committee (ZTCC) counselled his parents, who agreed to donate his organs - heart, liver (two parts) and both kidneys.
“After 2017, we recorded the first organ donation in our hospital. We gave the heart to Jaslok Hospital for transplantation. One part of his liver went to Apollo and the other to Jupiter hospital. One of his kidneys was given to a patient in Wockhardt Hospital while another was used in our hospital,” said Dr Surase.
The hospital, along with police officers involved in transporting the organs to different hospitals, gave a salute of honour to the donor and his family. Two weeks ago, the civic-run King Edward Memorial (KEM) Hospital, Parel, witnessed its first cadaveric donation after four years.
“Patients in Mumbai have to wait for months to get organs for transplantations. It is very encouraging to see how civic and government-run hospitals are coming forward to save more lives in the city,” said
Dr S Mathur, president of ZTCC.
Dr Pallavi Saple expressed gratitude to Mahesh and his family and said that the Yerunkars had set an inspiring example for organ donation. She also congratulated Dr Surase and his team of doctors and staff, who supported the cause.
