Express News Service By

BENGALURU: The family of a small farmer, who was declared brain-dead following an accident, has said that his organs have been donated to needy patients.

Krishnamurthy R, 37, who hails from Tumakuru was returning home on a two-wheeler after dropping his daughter, a Class 5 student, at her tuition class. A stray dog came in his way and he fell down from the vehicle. He sustained injuries in the head and was taken to local hospital.

Later, he was shifted to National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS) and then to Pradhana Manthri Swastya Suraksha Yojana Hospital at Victoria Hospital campus. He was diagnosed with severe traumatic brain injury and later declared brain-dead on Wednesday.

Then, the hospital staff and the Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka (ZCCK) counselled his relatives for organ donation.

“We know that the patient will not come back. But at the same time, my brother has done a wonder on the death bed. His organs like heart valves, kidneys and liver have been donated for patients,” R Raghunath, Krishnamurthy’s younger brother, said.

Krishnamurthy is survived by wife Bhagyamma, an anganwadi teacher, a daughter and a son. “We appeal to the government to help the family that helped many by giving organs. We are making this appeal as the family is poor,” he added.

Doctor Speaks

Dr N S Nagesh, head of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology at Victoria Hospital, said this is the first case in State where a patient, after being declared brain dead at the hospital, was operated for organ retrieval.

“Soon, we will be in a position to transplant (the organs). The team, involving a neuro surgeon, intensivists, and an anaesthetist got hands on experience of such landmark health activity,” he said, adding that the process of organ retrieval took four hours.

A ZCCK official carried out the process of organ retrieval and sent the heart valves and liver to Narayana MultiSpeciality Hospital, one kidney to Nephro Urology Institute and another kidney to Suguna Hospital.