Body donations up in city, 178 pledged at PGI this yr

Body donations have witnessed an increase in City Beautiful in the past five years, with kidney being the highest donated part in cadaver organ donations. The bodies of two deceased women, Kanta Saroop Krishen and Shashi Seth, were donated to the PGI past week.

Only two local hospitals, the PGI and Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, accept body donations.

The PGI data of the past five years has revealed a total of 146 bodies were donated during the period. According to Prof Anjali Aggarwal, HoD, Anatomy, PGI, “More people have started pledging their bodies for research purpose. In 2022, we saw a significant surge with 228 bodies enlisted, almost 108 more than the count of 2021. This year, we have got 178 enlistments for body donation.”

Dr Mahesh Kumar Sharma, HoD Anatomy, GMCH 32, said, “It is true that many people have pledged their bodies for science, but when they die, it’s the family and relatives who are left with the choice to go ahead with the deceased’s wishes. Owing to strong religious beliefs, there’s a lot of social pressure to follow rituals and relatives often end up not donating the body,” he said.

The PGI is the only hospital that logs organ donation of not just Chandigarh but also the entire Northern region, excluding NCR. It’s the authorised Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO) Centre. As many as 130 registered hospitals of the northern region, barring NCR, will connect to ROTTO, PGI, whenever there’s an availability of organs.

According to the organ-donation data of the past six years, kidney is the most donated organ, followed by liver and pancreas, in the entire northern region. At the PGI alone, 277 kidneys had been donated against 53 livers, 38 pancreas, 29 hearts and seven lungs. A total of 145 people opted for organ donation to the PGI. For the Northern India, the number is 211, wherein again kidney is the highest donated organ at 398, followed by liver (103), heart (42), pancreas (39) and lungs (11).

Prof. Vipin Koushal, Medical Superintendent, PGIMER & Nodal Officer, ROTTO North, shared, “Organ donation is not just a gift of life; it is a profound act of love and kindness that has the power to transform and save lives. Every one of us has the potential to be a beacon of hope for those in desperate need. By becoming an organ donor, you are joining a noble mission that transcends boundaries and brings people together in the spirit of humanity. Let’s unite to inspire change and create a future where no one has to wait in vain for a second chance at life. Your decision today can illuminate the path to healing for countless others. Be the reason someone smiles again.”

Organ donation involves donating specific organs or tissues after death for transplant purpose. Body donation, also known as whole-body or anatomical donation, involves donating one’s entire body after death for medical education, research and training.