Parents of teen boy who attempted suicide donate his organs

A 17-year-old boy’s organs, including his heart, were retrieved and transplanted into five different recipients at various hospitals here on Friday. This was made possible through co-ordinated efforts by private hospitals, the Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka (ZCCK) and the traffic police who created two green corridors to transport the organs.

Hemanth Gowda, a diploma in engineering student from Hebbal who had attempted suicide on Thursday, was declared brain-dead at the Columbia Asia Hospital. His parents, despite the tragedy, agreed to the donation of his organs.

Dr Kanchan Sanyal, Chief Medical Officer, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur, said that the whole staff was moved by the parents’ decision to donate their son’s organs. “The boy was brought to the hospital on Thursday evening. After initial diagnosis followed by the protocol of the ZCCK to have four other doctors to verify, he was declared brain-dead. The parents were not completely aware about organ donation, but with the help of hospital counsellors, they consented to donation,” she added. Five different recipients waiting for organs were given new lease of life with the donation.

The boy’s heart was transplanted into a 45-year-old man from Tamil Nadu at Narayana Hrudayalaya on Hosur Road. His pancreas and a kidney was given to a recipient at BGS Hospital in Kengeri. Another kidney was sent to Apollo BGS Hospitals in Mysuru, cornea to Narayana Nethralaya and liver was retained at Columbia Asia Hospital to be transplanted into a recipient.

The Bengaluru traffic police created two green corridors to transport the organs. The heart was transported from Yeshwantpur to Narayana Hrudayalaya on Hosur Road via Nice Road — a distance of 55 kms — in just 45 minutes. The pancreas and a kidney were transported to BGS Global Hospitals in Kengeri, covering 35 kilometres in as many minutes.

MA Saleem, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said that initially the green corridor was to be created in the morning around 8:30, but a request was made to change the timing by two hours to avoid the rush hour. “Yestwantpur to Hosur Road is a long distance and we asked the hospital to push the donation and transportation timing by two hours. We have become very aware about creating green corridors. In July alone, we managed to create seven green corridors,” he added.

Till date, the ZCCK has co-ordinated 148 cadaveric donations in Bengaluru.