BENGALURU: The valiant soldier kept his promise to save the lives of others even with his death. The organs of a serving soldier, who was declared brain dead after he met with a tragic road accident in Kasaragod, Kerala, have come to the rescue of many people across multiple cities in the country, who are on the waiting list for organ donation.
The soldier, from Kerala was evacuated to the Command Hospital Air Force Bangalore (CHAFB) on February 17 after stabilisation following the road accident in which he had suffered serious head injuries at Kasargod, while he was on leave. He was subsequently declared brain dead. His relatives, including his wife and brother keeping their personal tragedy and loss aside, agreed to donate his organs to help save lives.
“CHAFB conducted a significant organ retrieval operation on February 19, marking a milestone in its commitment to organ donation and life-saving medical interventions,” stated the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in an official release on Thursday.
“After coordination with the Karnataka State Organ Transplant Authority, an organ retrieval team immediately flew in from Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi in an Indian Air Force (IAF) Airbus to retrieve the donor’s cornea, liver, and one kidney. The other kidney was transplanted locally at the Command Hospital.
A team from Chennai arrived in a commercial flight to retrieve the heart and the lungs for MGM and Gleneagles Hospitals respectively to provide life-saving transplants to patients in urgent need,” stated the MoD.
CHAFB also closely coordinated with Bengaluru police to establish a Green Corridor to ensure seamless transportation of the retrieved organs from the operation theatre to the airport terminal, significantly reducing the travel time and preserving organ viability.
Command Hospital has been a key institution in organ donation initiatives and has previously conducted multiple organ retrieval procedures. “However, 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 MoD added.
Meanwhile, the IAF, from its official handle, earlier posted regarding the soldier’s remarkable life saving mission on X - the micro-blogging platform and called it a “true testament to service beyond duty.”