Multi-State organ retrieval operation saves many lives

Kerala accident victim's organ donation saves lives in multiple cities, highlighting military-civilian medical collaboration.

An accident victim from Kerala gave a new lease of life to many, thanks to a major organ donation and transportation operation facilitated by a Bengaluru hospital on February 19.

According to a press release, the donor, a serving soldier on leave, suffered severe head injuries in the road accident at Kasaragod in Kerala. He was shifted to the Command Hospital Air Force Bangalore (CHAFB) for treatment on February 17 and was subsequently declared brain dead. After his relatives selflessly agreed to donate his organs, in coordination with the Jeevasarthakathe, Karnataka’s State Organ and Tissue Transplant Authority, an organ-retrieval team flew in from the Army Hospital (Research and Referral), New Delhi, in an Indian Air Force aircraft.

The team retrieved the soldier’s corneas, liver, and kidneys. One of his kidneys was transplanted locally at the CHAFB. A team from Chennai arrived on flight to retrieve the heart and the lungs for the MGM and Gleneagles hospitals respectively to help patients in need, the release added.

To ensure seamless transportation of the retrieved organs, the CHAFB closely coordinated with the Bengaluru Police to establish a “green corridor”, which facilitated swift and uninterrupted transfer of organs from the operation theatre to the airport terminal, significantly reducing travel time and preserving organ viability, the release further said.

“This is the first time organs were transported to multiple cities, underscoring the growing collaboration between military and civilian medical institutions in addressing critical healthcare needs,” the release added. The CHAFB has been a key institution in organ donation initiatives and has previously conducted multiple organ retrieval procedures, it said.