NEW DELHI: In the first ever "full organ" donation reported from the Army family, an officer gave his brain-dead father's liver last week. It was transplanted successfully on a 45-year-old Hyderabad-based man suffering from an end stage liver ailment.

Major S.K. Singh of the Artillery Regiment agreed to donate his father's liver when doctors at the Army Research and Referral Hospital here pronounced him brain dead. The retired schoolteacher P.N. Singh (72) was brought here on January 9 and treated for two days for brain haemorrhage and a massive stroke. His cornea (he is since dead) was also donated but the other organs could not be removed as he had been suffering from diabetes and chronic kidney failure.

Earlier, the Ethical Committee of the Army Hospital approached his family for organ donation and readily received Major Singh's consent.

Major hospitals in Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai were approached but ultimately it was a private hospital in Hyderabad which accepted the liver. "A team of doctors arrived here on January 11, removed the liver from Mr. Singh and the same evening took it to Hyderabad, where it was transplanted on the patient immediately as the organ cannot be kept for more than 12 hours," said Colonel A.K. Seth, chief coordinator for organ donation.

The Army proposes to highlight Major S.K. Singh's gesture to inspire others. "We will write about this in the internal magazine, make a mention at meetings and interactions at all levels and importantly network with nine major army hospitals across the country," says Brigadier R.P. Choubey, head of the Liver Transplant Section.

At least 200 persons — serving personnel and their family members — die of liver diseases every year.

Set for liver transplant

The Army Hospital here, which has been transplanting cornea, kidney and bone marrow, is set to undertake liver transplants. It has a state-of-the-art liver transplant centre and 19 doctors and paramedics trained at U.K. Liver Transplant started in India eight years ago. So far 270 transplants have been carried out successfully.

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