CHENNAI: The family of a 52-year-old Pakistani patient, who was declared brain dead at a Chennai hospital, had to return home on Monday with his body without fulfilling his wish to donate organs as the Tamil Nadu Transplant Authority allegedly insisted on signing . “to avoid legal entanglements to all the heirs” and refused approval when it could not be done at such a short notice.
attempts came to naught despite one no objection certificate has been protected from Pakistani High Commission For donation at MGM Healthcare in New Delhi where the man was declared brain dead on Friday.
The patient – name withheld – was diagnosed with lung failure. His condition deteriorated on Friday and he had a brain haemorrhage. the doctors declared him brain dead hours later. Senior cardiac anaesthetist Dr Suresh Rao said, “Except his lungs, all other organs were in good condition and hence, our bereavement counselors contacted the family for donation.”
The patient’s wife, a Russian woman working as a college professor, immediately agreed to donate her organs and signed the forms. The hospital authorities alerted Transton, the state transplant authority. However, Transton officials requested more documents. On Saturday, teams from MGM Healthcare approached the High Commission for a No Objection Certificate (NOC). The certificate, issued at the request of family members, was addressed to “To whom it may concern” and was countersigned by Muhammad Akram, the commissioned visa attaché. It said: “The Commission has no objection to the organ donation Subject to completion of other formalities. However, the state authorities wanted the signatures of all the legal heirs. “Usually only one of the family members signs the form. We thought it would be good in this case too. But Transton officials feared legal complications,” said one of the family members.
attempts came to naught despite one no objection certificate has been protected from Pakistani High Commission For donation at MGM Healthcare in New Delhi where the man was declared brain dead on Friday.
The patient – name withheld – was diagnosed with lung failure. His condition deteriorated on Friday and he had a brain haemorrhage. the doctors declared him brain dead hours later. Senior cardiac anaesthetist Dr Suresh Rao said, “Except his lungs, all other organs were in good condition and hence, our bereavement counselors contacted the family for donation.”
The patient’s wife, a Russian woman working as a college professor, immediately agreed to donate her organs and signed the forms. The hospital authorities alerted Transton, the state transplant authority. However, Transton officials requested more documents. On Saturday, teams from MGM Healthcare approached the High Commission for a No Objection Certificate (NOC). The certificate, issued at the request of family members, was addressed to “To whom it may concern” and was countersigned by Muhammad Akram, the commissioned visa attaché. It said: “The Commission has no objection to the organ donation Subject to completion of other formalities. However, the state authorities wanted the signatures of all the legal heirs. “Usually only one of the family members signs the form. We thought it would be good in this case too. But Transton officials feared legal complications,” said one of the family members.