City cops create green corridor to transfer liver, kidney

Kolkata: The Kolkata Police created a green corridor for the transfer of kidney and liver of a 57-year-old woman, who was declared brain-dead, from RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS), a private hospital at Mukundapur near EM Bypass to SSKM hospital.

The patient Kalyani Sarkar who had wished to donate her organs after her death was declared brain dead at RTIICS on Thursday night. Her family members gave the consent to the hospital authorities immediately after her death to make arrangements for life saving organ transplantation.

Sarkar who was a resident of Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas suffered injuries after falling down in the bathroom of her residence on October 28. She was first taken to a local hospital and was later transferred to RTIICS.

An official in the private hospital said that the female patient was admitted with a Spontaneous Subarachnoid, intracerebral and intraventricular hemorrhage.

She was under conservative management and was showing signs of brainstem death. On November 9, a team of Neurologists, Neurosurgeons and Intensivists from RTIICS, under the supervision of observers from the state Health department declared the patient to be brain-dead.

"As soon as the patient party agreed for transplantation, Additional Director of Health Services and Nodal Officer for Organ Transplant of Bengal government coordinated the entire process of declaration of brain death, counselling of relatives and appropriate dedication of organs to the different recipients as per the waiting lists. One of the kidneys and the liver were dedicated to SSKM Hospital. The other kidney and the heart were dedicated to RTIICS," a senior official of the state Health department said.

A suitable recipient for the heart was identified, with a compatible "O" negative blood group in Ranchi.

However, unfortunately due to logistical difficulties, the recipient was not able to travel to Kolkata on time.

"Keeping in mind the time-sensitive nature of the other organ retrievals, a decision was made by the Nodal officer to proceed with the harvesting of the kidneys and the liver alone. A surgical team from RTIICS and SSKM carried out the organ retrievals before transporting one kidney and liver via a green corridor created by the Kolkata Police. The other kidney was immediately transplanted to a patient at RTIICS," a spokesperson of the hospital said.

This is for the third time when green corridor has been created in the state for organ transplant. It was on November 4 last year when for the first time in the state's history a green corridor was provided for 12 km for transplantation of kidneys, liver and cornea of a brain dead Class XII student Swarnendu Roy after he was declared brain- dead in a private hospital.