Organs of Delhi AIIMS official's sister give life to four

New Delhi: Organs of a senior Delhi AIIMS official’s sister who was declared brain dead a few days ago were donated, giving a fresh lease of life to four people and vision to two.

Snehlata Choudhary, sister of Rabindra Agarwal, an IAS officer posted as the additional director of administration at AIIMS here, sustained a severe head injury during her morning walk last month.

The 63-year-old was initially operated on for a head injury in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur and then airlifted to AIIMS Trauma Centre for further treatment, a senior doctor said.

Choudhary was health conscious and used to go for morning walks regularly for the last 25 years. “Despite best efforts, her condition did not improve and was declared brain dead on September 30,” the doctor said.

She was a homemaker and a social worker. “She was a strong supporter of the eye donation campaign and supported the cause of organ donation throughout her life. She had also qualified for Kaun Banega Crorepati,” the doctor added.

Choudhary’s heart, a kidney and corneas were donated to patients at AIIMS, while her liver will be utilised in the Army RR Hospital. Her second kidney was given to a patient at Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, according to the arrangement by National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation.

The forensic medicine team conducted virtual autopsy – computed tomography and also carried out post-mortem during organ retrieval, the doctor said.

Donation of organs by a bureaucrat’s family member comes at a time when the government is trying to create awareness around the issue.

“Since April, 12 donations have taken place at AIIMS Trauma Centre, Delhi, the highest here since 1994. The team at the trauma centre has made major changes in brain death certification and organ procurement processes, leading to sustained increased numbers now,” the doctor said.

The organ procurement services at AIIMS Trauma Centre are led by Professor of Neurosurgery Dr Deepak Gupta.

In India, one person dies from a road accident every three minutes, amounting to 1.50 lakh such death every year, but only 700 organ donations take place. Awareness is the need of the hour, another doctor said.