When Chembur resident Vinayak Mhaske (64) was declared brain dead at a private hospital, his relatives did something that not only saved the lives of 4-5 persons, but also earned a record for the deceased.
Mhaske, who was working in a private firm, was admitted to hospital on February 11 after he suffered a heart attack. A week later, he was declared brain dead.
And cadaver donations saw a first in the state when his bones were grafted. His relatives also gave consent to donate his major organs on Friday.
Dr Sujata Patwardhan, secretary, Zonal Transplantation Coordination Committee (ZTCC), said: "This is the first time in cadaver donations we are retrieving bones. We will send them to the Tata hospital. There is a cancer patient who needs them."
Through bone grafting, a surgical procedure, missing bones can be replaced. It can repair bone fractures that are extremely complex, pose a significant risk to the patient or that won't heal properly.
Mhaske's family donated his iliac crest bone – the superior border of the wing of ilium and the superolateral (situated aboce and towards the side) margin of the greater pelvis. The family also donated Mhaske's liver, two kidneys and eyes.
Though what the family did was noble, they have a complaint. "We found the organ donation process very tedious. The police and doctors should cooperate with the relatives. We had a very bad experience. Such things should stop. Otherwise, no one would come forward for organ donations," said Uttam Ambore, son-in-law of Mhaske.
The ZTCC, which links the recepient and donor families, is now planning to create awareness on bone donations as well.
Patients who need organs have to register with ZTCC, which maintains a registry of people waiting for organs.
The trend of cadaver donations has always been uneven in the city. In 2012, there were 27 donations, while in 2013, there were 24. In 2014, the city saw 41 donations which benefited 107 people. In 2015, there were 44 donations that helped 114 people. In 2016, till February, there have been 11 cadaver donations.
