Life after death for brain-dead men

When 47-year-old Ram Murthy was declared brain dead, little did his family members realise that he would continue to live — through his organs — even after his death.

Five people got a new lease of life after they successfully underwent transplantations through cadaver donations of organs harvested from his body.

A farmer from Bellary, Ram Murthy had suffered a brain stroke while in the local library, early in March. Although rushed to Chinmaya Mission Hospital, he suffered a second stroke during treatment and was declared brain-dead.

It was at this juncture that the Zonal Co-ordination Committee of Karnataka (ZCCK) intervened and tried to convince Murthy’s family to donate his  body, so that his organs could be harvested.

Intially sceptical, his family finally agreed when Murthy’s cousin, Challa Gopal, explained the importance of organ transplantation.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Gopal said: “Since I serve in the medical field, it was easy for me to understand the concept and was thus able to explain it to my family.”

Joys of giving

After proper counselling and much convincing, Murthy’s family is now happy about the donations. Murthy’s kidneys, liver, heart valves and corneas were harvested at the Manipal Hospital.

More donations followed. On Thursday, Rame Gowda, 44, a BMTC driver was found unconscious in Madanay-akanahalli village on Tumkur Road. He was declared brain-dead at BGS Hospital. Following his family’s consent, his organs too were harvested. The transplantations were conducted successfully on the recipients.

Cadaver donation is still an under-examined subject in the State as the government has made no efforts to educate the masses. According to ZCCK records, there are 706 people awaiting kidney donations.