In death, Vinayak Deshkar gifts life to many

Family members of Vinayak Deshkar

                                              Organs being taken to airport from OCHRI

                                           Team of doctors led by Dr Anup Marar

By Vikas Vaidya

CITY’S Deshkar family showed tremendous courage and a sense of philanthropy by donating organs of 67-year-old Vinayak Ramrao Deshkar, who was declared brain dead by doctors. What followed was a unique act of social commitment, urgency, and wonderful co-ordination between agencies as the organs were transported to airport through Nagpur’s first Green Corridor, on Saturday.
Deshkar, aged 67, a resident of Plot No 36, Madhuban Layout, Narendra Nagar, had gone to Panchmarhi with his family where he collapsed on June 16. He was admitted to Trinity Hospital under Dr Shailesh Pitale the same day with history of hypertension, diabetes, hypothyroidism, old CVE and fresh massive intracranial bleed.
Dr Pitale sought opinion of Intensivist Dr Sanjiv Bias, Neurophysician Dr Sangram Wagh, and Neuro Surgeon Dr Pramod Giri. Deshkar’s sons and relatives were counselled about the critical condition of the patient, outcome, vegetative status and its consequences.
On June 22, the patient developed sudden hypertension and no spontaneous respiration. The relatives were again counselled about absent brain stem activity. After knowing the brain stem death status Deshkar’s wife, Gayatri, and sons, Abhishek and Anurag, came forward and wished to donate kidneys, eyes and other organs to the needy.
Accordingly Dr Pitale discussed with his batchmate Dr Anup Marar, Director of Orange City Hospital and Research Institute, a government recognised renal transplant and organ retrieval unit. Dr Ravi Wankhede, Secretary, ZTCC (Nagpur); and Dr Shivnarayan Acharya, Transplant Advisor, OCHRI, reviewed the status and after needful legal formalities the patient was shifted to OCHRI on June 23 at 11 am.
After performing all essential confirmatory tests as per standard protocol the committee of Dr Devayani Buche, Dr R Atal and Dr Vasant Dangra certified Deshkar as brain dead. Dr Ninad Gawande assisted by Dr Noorul Ameen completed medical legal records.
On Saturday organ retrieval surgery was started by around 9.30 am. In the meantime OCHRI authorities led by Dr Marar sensitised police authorities about the need of a Green Corridor from OCHRI to airport to transport the liver to Mumbai. A team of Global Hospital, Mumbai, led by Dr Ravi Mohanka, Liver Surgeon came in a chartered flight and harvested the liver.

Nagpur cops in action

Traffic was stopped for an hour till the organs reached airport. When Nagpurians came to know that organs were being taken to airport they co-operated whole-heartedly. For the first time a Green Corridor was formed in the city thanks to Nagpur Police. This is for the fourth time in Vidarbha that such Greed Corridor was opened. Twice it was done at Wardha’s Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital and once at Amravati.
Under the guidance of Ravindra Pardesi, DCP (Traffic); Jayesh Murlidhar Bhandarkar, ACP (Traffic), Sudhir Nandanwar, PI Incharge Bajaj Nagar police station and Umesh Besarkar, PI (Traffic) led a team of around 100 policemen to ensure smooth transport of harvested organs. Manjiri Damle, Sunil Sure, Priya Sashi and Ganesh Iyer provided administrative support.

City hospitals join hands

The co-ordinated efforts of Trinity Hospital, OCHRI, ZTC (Mumbai and Nagpur), NOTTO and Nagpur City police to respect the wishes of Deshkar family were hailed by Nagpur people.
As per the Zonal Transplant Committee’s (ZTC) waiting list one kidney was transported to Wockhardt Hospital and other to Care Hospital for needful transplants. Eyes will be retrieved by Mahatme Eye bank. Dr Shivnarayan Acharya and Dr Ravi Wankhede stated that in view of the patient’s age the heart and lungs could not be utilised.
Nagpurians applauded the noble act of Deshkar family in saving lives of three needy persons, providing sight to two blind persons and providing relief to many burn victims.

‘He will be with us’

FOR the Deshkar family it was a very emotional moment. “He (Vinayak) had wished that after death, too, his body should have utility value. So when doctors counselled us for organ donation, we immediately said yes. Donation of organs gives us feeling that he will be with us forever. The only sad part is that his heart could not be taken to Chennai where it was supposed to be transplanted. Had it been done we would have felt more happy,” said Gayatri, wife of deceased Vinayak.

Weather almost played truant

While all formalities were in place bad weather posed a big problem to the entire operation. Air Traffic Control, Mumbai called up to highlight the poor weather conditions in Mumbai and the surgery had to be slowed down. Only after getting green signal from ATC and pilot the surgery was completed. Dr Sandeep Deshmukh, Urologist at OCHRI, retrieved the kidneys. Dr Sameer Jahagirdar, Plastic Surgeon at OCHRI, retrieved the skin for Rotary OCHRI Skin Bank.
This was 17th time that skin is being retrieved at OCHRI. Dr Smita Harkare, Dr Anita Pande and Dr Sweety Pasari provided anaesthesia while Ambika Nair led team of nursing staff.

Green corridor fourth time in Vidarbha

This organ donation has another unique aspect from Nagpur’s angle. For the first time the green corridor is opened in city thanks to Nagpur Police who did the job exceedingly well. This is for the fourth time in Vidarbha that such green corridor is opened. Twice it is done at Wardha’s Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital, attached to Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College affilated to Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences University and once at Amravati. The teams of hospitals too joined in the crusade to get it done successfully.