For the third time in 16 months, two organs of a brain dead patient were harvested at the SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) here and rushed to two city-based hospitals for transplantation providing a new lease of life to two critically ill patients on Wednesday.

Alekh Prasad Parida, a 59-year-old man from Nilagiri area of Balasore district, had been admitted into SUMUM on Sunday after suffering a brain stroke. 

The patient was subjected to a brainstem reflex test on Monday which was found to be negative. It was followed by an Apnea test which confirmed that the patient was brain dead, Dr. Alok Panigrahi, Senior Conslutant, department of Critical Care Medicine in the hospital and the treating physician, said.

The hospital authorities then approached the family members of the patient to find out if they would be willing to donate organs of the patient to which they agreed, Dr. Somnath Jena,  Senior Consultant, Neuro Surgery department in the hospital said.

The hospital then got in touch with the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) to set in motion the harvesting of organs procedure. 

“Today SUMUM marks its third multi-organ retrieval from a single donor reinforcing our role as the first hospital in the state to reach this milestone. Organ donation is the need of the hour and we are honoured to contribute to giving recipients a renewed chance at life,” Dr. Swetapadma Dash, Chief Executive Officer of SUMUM, said.

“We hope to build on these early achievements, expanding from three donations to thirty and beyond through dedicated awareness campaigns. Each donation holds the power to change lives and bring families closer—a legacy that extends far beyond a single life time,” she said.

Dr. Dash said that SUMUM had provided employment to Ms. Mrudumanjari, widow of Prasenjit Mohanty, the first organ donor, as the family’s decision to donate the organs helped four people. She is working in the Radiology department of SUMUM at present.

“Acts of compassion like these remind us of the profound impact organ donation can have and, we believe, it deserves every encouragement,” she said.

The first instance of harvesting organs from a brain dead patient at SUMUM had happened in June 2023 when five organs had been harvested and sent to hospitals in New Delhi and Kolkata for transplantation.

After nine months two organs of another brain dead patient in SUMUM were harvested and sent for transplantation in patients under treatment in hospitals at Mumbai and Kolkata.

The organ donation procedures were being done in adherence to all the rules and regulations of SOTTO, she said.

Brig. (Dr.) Biraj Mohan Mishra, Chief of Medical Services in the hospital, said SUMUM had been playing a leading role in organ donation.