New Delhi, 5th December 2022: Marengo Asia Healthcare network hospitals conducted an incredible number of a total of 11 organ retrieval and seven organ transplants within a span of 24 hours under one single roof. This is a feat not achieved by any other hospital in the country in such a short period. This establishes Marengo Asia hospitals not only as a fast-emerging preferred destination for organ transplants but also as fast-emerging leaders in clinical excellence in the field of transplants.
Marengo CIMS Hospital and K K Patel Hospital, (Marengo Asia network hospital) were able to retrieve a heart, four kidneys, two livers, and four eyes from two cadavers in the last 24 hours. Among the organs transplanted at Marengo CIMS Hospital, the heart was transplanted in a 45-year-old, by a team of doctors led by Dr. Dhiren Shah and Dr. Dhaval Naik. The recipient of the liver was a 51-year-old, the surgery was conducted by the team led by Dr. Abhideep Chaudhary; one kidney went to a 31-year-old and another kidney to a 51-year-old. the kidneys were transplanted by a team of doctors led under the guidance of Dr. Kandarp Parikh, Dr. Siddharth Mavani, and Dr. Mayur Patil. The Red Cross harvested the eyes. While all the organs were harvested at Marengo CIMS Hospital and K K Patel, Hospital (Marengo Asia network hospital), all were transplanted in Marengo CIMS hospital.
Meeraben Patel (Name Changed), a 46-year-old computer teacher by profession, was extremely hypertensive. The patient suffered a brain stroke and subsequently, a hemorrhage for which she was brought to Marengo CIMS Hospital. The patient was surgically treated but did not recover. With doctors in her family already aligned towards organ donation, the authorities at the hospital were approached by the family itself for one of the highest forms of noble acts, that of saving lives.
A female patient, Nainaben, (Name changed) aged 65 years was brought in at K K Patel Hospital (Marengo Asia network hospital) in Bhuj in an unconscious condition. With dilated cardiomyopathy, she required immediate intervention with a pacemaker. The patient did not show any recovery and the following CT scan revealed that she had massive intra parenchymal hemorrhage post neurological examination and tests as per law and regulations the patient was declared brain dead subsequently. The patient’s family was willing to donate the healthy organs of their deceased family member and as per SOTTO and NOTTO guidelines, all further processes were conducted. Cooperation and help from Bhuj police who provided Green Corridor enabled us to shift the organs from the hospital to the airport for airlifting within 12 minutes.
With Marengo CIMS Hospital armed with multiple organ transplant programs such as heart, lungs, kidney, liver, and bone marrow under one roof, the hospital is fast emerging as a leader for organ transplants in India.
Dr. Raajiv Singhal, Founding Member, MD & CEO, Marengo Asia Healthcare said, “Marengo Asia Healthcare expresses deep heartfelt gratitude to the families who donated the organs of their deceased family member with the sole thought of saving the life of someone unknown to them. There cannot be a higher act of humanity than this. We are overwhelmed that these families have put aside their intense grief and sorrow to think of others waiting for a healthy organ; embrace humanity and donate the deceased family member’s organs to save several lives and restore the sight of two. This is an exemplary show of immense courage and strength by the families to restore faith in humanity. At Marengo Asia Healthcare, we believe every minute counts and every life matters. The importance of timely decisions taken in organ donation is paramount in contributing significantly to saving lives.”
Dr. Singhal added, “We are increasingly emerging as leaders in Western India in organ transplants, heart transplants (second highest in the country), liver and kidney transplants, and bone marrow transplants, all under one roof. Our centers of excellence in organ transplants are testimony to the fact that we are equipped with global expertise, with surgeons proving their mettle repeatedly. We are also humbled at the pace at which awareness is rising on organ donation, especially in Gujarat, and more families are offering the chance to our surgeons to save more lives. Many patients die every year due to a lack of organ donation. Organ donation can save 500,000 lives in India each year. We encourage people to become a part of such humanitarian acts that can save thousands of lives every year.”
The patients’ families said, “We realized the enormity of the number of lives that could be saved with this simple act of organ donation. We are encouraged by the fact that our loved one will live through the people who have received his organs.”
India needs four lakh organ transplants annually, but less than 1,000 transplants are being done due to a lack of organ donors. Only 0.5 percent of the organs donated come from diseased organ donation after terminal brain death. With increased organ donation we can save increased lives. India happens to be one of the top countries in organ transplant in the world and yet, we lag behind our western counterparts. There is a huge disparity between the demand for organs for saving lives and the organs donated is witnessed consistently in the country. The increasing numbers of organ donations in India are just about picking up, the awareness has been low and other reasons working as deterrents are religious beliefs, spiritual beliefs, and a negative mindset towards organ donation. The recent increase has been an outcome of increased awareness of the noble act.