CHALAGERE (HAVERI DIST )/HUBBALLI: The decision to donate the body of Naveen Shekharappa Gyana Goudar for medical research is commendable and has sparked interest in body donation. Even the common man in Chalagere and neighbouring villages are speaking about it, and we have received a good number of inquiries from Ranebennur taluk and parts of Davanagere district, said Dr Veeresh Itagi, Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, SS Institute of Medical Science and Research Centre, Davanagere.
It was Naveen’s father Shekharappa who took the decision to donate his body. Naveen was killed in shelling by Russian forces on Kharkiv city on March 1. Unlike foreign countries where the study of medicine involves dissection of mannequins, the Indian system mandates dissection of bodies, but there is a dearth of bodies for studies and research activities, Dr Itagi said.
When the body arrived at the hospital, it was received by Principal Dr Prasad and people from Naveen’s native village Chalagere and Davanagere. The body was transferred into a freezer box at Harihar general hospital and sent to Chalagere in an ambulance for people to pay their last respects.
“Naveen’s body was in good condition when the coffin was opened, and this was due to good funeral embalming or surface embalming done at Kharkiv soon after his death,” Dr Itagi said. “The body will be completely embalmed on Tuesday morning.” He said Naveen’s body was handed over to the college authorities at 5pm Monday.
Explaining the process, Dr Itagi said after six months, Naveen’s body will be given for dissection to first-year MBBS students who will be conducting research on the body for a period of five to six years. After this, the body starts to decompose and will be buried on the medical college grounds for two to three years. The body will then be exhumed, the skin and flesh removed and bone mounting work done. It will be given for studies in osteology and MS studies in orthopaedics, Dr Itagi explained.