Date:29/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/29/stories/2008102959820700.htm

Tamil Nadu

‘Brain-dead’ person disqualified as organ donor

Ramya Kannan

As differences arose about brain death declaration
59-year-old man is an employee of a sugar mill in Mohanur

CHENNAI: A man pronounced to be “brain dead” and pushed as a donor for organ donation was later disqualified as differences arose about brain death declaration.

Last week, doctors from a hospital in Namakkal made a frantic call to a hospital in Chennai informing them of the availability of a “brain dead” organ donor whose family was enthused about donating their kin’s organs.

The Namakkal hospital requested the Chennai doctors to arrange for a fully-equipped ambulance so that the ‘brain-dead’ patient could be shifted to the metro where his organs could be harvested.

The patient was a 59-year-old male, and an employee of a sugar mill in Mohanur, 30 km from Namakkal. He had suffered a head injury about a month ago and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Ganga Hospital, in Coimbatore.

Later his family shifted him to Deepthi Hospital in Namakkal.

However, following the procedure mandated by the government, Madhu Sankar, transplant co-ordinator at Dr. Cherian’s Lifeline Hospital contacted by the Namakkal doctor, insisted that the hospital provide a ‘brain-death’ certification. The brain death certification, satisfying 10 criteria, was necessary before the patient could be transported to Chennai.

“Never ever should the suspicion arise that commercial exploitation has taken place,” he said.

Brain death certification has to be performed by a government-empanelled neurologist. “Actually, he is not brain-dead,” according to A. Parthiban, neurosurgeon and owner of Deepthi Hospital, Namakkal. “His relatives were eager to donate the patient’s organs.” While initial estimation by the treating doctor presumed brain death, subsequently, an empanelled neurologist confirmed that there was eye-movement and that the patient was not brain dead.

Dr. Parthiban said the patient had severe brain injuries, but this was insufficient to declare him brain dead.

He added that the patient “may be shifted out of the hospital in a couple of days’ time.”