IAF airlifts kidney, cornea; multi-organ donation saves lives of five

New Delhi: Five persons received a new lease of life after a brain dead patient’s organs were sent across different parts of the country, with one kidney and a cornea being airlifted by an Indian Air Force aircraft from Bengaluru to Delhi.

The Indian Air Force (IAF), in a post on X, shared details of the coordinated operation and photographs of the airlift on Saturday.

"The IAF enabled life-saving multi-organ retrieval and critical transplants at different locations, undertaken through Command Hospital Air Force Bangalore (CHAFB) today," the post said.

The donor, declared brain dead on Friday, became the "source of new life for five individuals", it added.

According to the IAF, one kidney and a cornea were flown to the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in Delhi. The other kidney and cornea, as well as the first skin harvest, were transplanted at CHAFB in collaboration with a medical team from Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru.

The liver was successfully transplanted at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, it said.

"This seamless operation was executed with Jeevansarthakathe Karnataka, reflecting the exceptional commitment and medical expertise of the Armed Forces medical community," the IAF said in the post.