A brain-dead 25-year-old boy at Goa Medical College (GMC) in Bambolim became a ray of hope for four patients in three cities waiting for organ transplants when the relatives of the deceased decided to donate his heart, kidney, and liver to organ transplant recipients.

Organ donation is a medical procedure in which specific organs are recovered from one body and transplanted into recipients to replace a missing or damaged organ.

At the press conference, GMC Dean Dr Shivanand Bandekar stated that a 25-year-old from Belgaum had suffered a head injury during an accident. The Brain Stem Death Certification Panel declared the patient brain-dead in GMC. The organs were transported by ambulance from GMC, Bambolim, to the Goa International Airport, Dabolim, through a green corridor established by the Goa Police.

The State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (SOTTO) began the process for the retrieval of the organs after the family of the deceased agreed to donate organs.   In addition, SOTTO also initiated the procedure to identify suitable recipients from the waiting list.

 He said, "This is the fourth deceased donor organ donation programme under the aegis of SOTTO Goa."

Dr  Bandekar further informed us that the National Organ and Tissue Transplantation allotted the heart to a patient in Chennai, the liver to a recipient in Delhi Army Hospital, and the kidneys to two patients in Goa.

He noted that in Goa, only three hospitals are certified to offer kidney transplants, which are not available in other hospitals.

 Dr Bandekar further said, "His family displayed great courage and took the brave decision to donate the organs."