Bhubaneswar: The parents of a 21-month-old boy became inspiring figures for over a billion Indians by donating the organs of their son Pratyush, who was declared brain dead at the Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
The parents of the baby boy, Gouri Shankar Panigrahi and Sharmistha Panigrahi voluntarily expressed their desire to donate organs after the baby suffered septic shock and was declared brain dead on Saturday.
Pratyush was admitted to the hospital about a fortnight ago and was diagnosed with meningitis.
Born back in July 2022, the baby had developed health issues and fell sick occasionally. He was brought to the hospital several times by his parents and recovered after treatment, said Prof. (Dr.) Debasmita Rath of the hospital’s Pediatrics department.
At the request of parents, the hospital authorities passed on the information to the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) who, in turn, got in touch with the National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) to take the matter ahead.
A team of doctors from the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar harvested the liver which was flown to the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), New Delhi for a baby awaiting transplantation. The police had prepared a green corridor for smooth passage to the Biju Patnaik Airport.
The kidneys were taken to a city-based hospital for another patient transplant.
Prof. (Dr.) Rachita Sarangi, acting Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said this was the first time in Odisha that, the organs of such a small baby had been harvested to help save lives elsewhere.
The grief-stricken mother of the baby said, that though she was heartbroken as her baby did not survive, she got consolation from the fact that the organs of her child would help another baby live elsewhere.
This was the third time since 2022 that organs from brain-dead patients in the IMS and SUM Hospital have been harvested and taken to other hospitals for transplantation.
