Body of organ donor lands in Tiruchy GH morgue

[okarol]

Body of organ donor lands in Tiruchy GH morgue

Last Updated : 18 Jan 2009 10:01:32 AM IST

TIRUCHY: Lack of infrastructure for organ transfer at the Government Hospital here has disappointed the mother of a 45- year-old vendor, who wanted to donate his organs after his death. The body finally landed at the Anatomy Department of the hospital.

A samosa vendor, Gopalarathinam (45), of Theppakulatheru near Kulithalai in Karur district, was suffering from chronic renal failure for about three years.

On January 10, after the doctors of a private hospital at Karur where Gopalarathinam had been undergoing dialysis said the chances of saving his life were little, he told his mother R Ramayee Ammal that he wished to donate his organs.

Ramayee Ammal discus sed the matter with other family members who at first refused to donate the organs but later decided to take Gopalarathinam to Tiruchy for the purpose.

A couple of days later, Gopalarathinam became unconscious.

The joint director of Medical Science Dr Ilamathy took Gopalarathinam to Tiruchy on Friday.

When they reached Tiruchy, the Government Hospital administration told Dr Ilamathy that they lacked infrastructure to retrieve Gopalarathinam’s organs.

Around 6 pm on Friday, Gopalarathinam died and his eyes were retrieved by the Joseph Eye Hospital in Tiruchy.

Subsequently, on Saturday Ramayee Ammal handed over the body to the Dean, Dr Ravishankar.

“This cadaver would be kept at the Anatomy Department of the medical college here and would be made use of by the students,” he said.

“Though the deceased and his relatives were willing to donate the organs, the lack of infrastructure prevented what would have been otherwise a noble deed,” said H Nagarajan, nephew of Gopalarathinam.