PGIMER teams brave harsh weather to carry out liver, pancreas transplants
Chandigarh: Braving biting cold, incessant rain and strong winds, transplant teams of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) ensured that the precious gift of life reached two waiting recipients without compromise.
In a remarkable demonstration of medical excellence, the hospital retrieved and transplanted vital organs from AIIMS Rishikesh in Uttarakhand under exceptionally challenging conditions and critical time constraints.
Raghu Paswan’s liver, one kidney and pancreas were allocated to PGIMER in Chandigarh, while one kidney was allocated to AIIMS in New Delhi, the heart to the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in New Delhi, and the lungs to Apollo Hospital in Chennai, extending the donor’s legacy of life across multiple regions of the country.
From sudden loss emerged a legacy of life. Paswan, 42, was admitted to AIIMS Rishikesh on January 16 after sustaining critical injuries following a fall from a two-storey building. He suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and, despite all possible medical interventions, was declared brain dead.
Rising above immeasurable grief, the family took the decision to donate his organs, offering hope and life to multiple patients awaiting transplants across the country.
Expressing gratitude, PGIMER Director Prof Vivek Lal on Saturday said, “This organ donation stands as a powerful reminder that humanity shines brightest in moments of loss. Despite harsh weather, long distances and immense time pressure, our teams were resolute that no organ and no life would be lost due to logistical challenges.
“The selfless decision of the donor family, combined with extraordinary teamwork across institutions, has given multiple patients a renewed lease on life and sustained the hope of many more,” he said.
Following this noble decision, organ allocation was carried out strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOA), 1994, and established national allocation protocols through the coordinated efforts of NOTTO and ROTTO (North), ensuring transparency, equity and timeliness, PGIMER said in a statement.
Highlighting the surgical and logistical challenges, Prof L. Kaman, Head, Department of General Surgery, PGIMER, said, “A dedicated liver transplant team comprising Dr Swapnesh Kumar Sahu and Dr Shibojit departed from Chandigarh at 9 p.m. on January 22 for AIIMS Rishikesh, along with a pancreas transplant team consisting of Dr Shivakumar Patil and Dr Praneeth. After nearly six hours of continuous road travel, the teams reached AIIMS Rishikesh by 3 a.m. and were rushed directly to the operation theatre for preparation and coordination.”
The organ retrieval commenced at 9 a.m. and was successfully completed by 12 noon, following which a ‘green corridor’ was created to ensure time-bound transportation of the liver graft.
The teams then began the return journey and reached PGIMER in Chandigarh by 3 p.m., where they were taken straight to the operation theatre for transplantation.
Notably, for the first time, a liver was transported by road from AIIMS Rishikesh to PGIMER under severe weather conditions to minimise ischaemia time, Prof Kaman added.
Emphasising the impact on recipients, Prof Ashish Sharma, Head, Renal Transplant, PGIMER, said, “There are only a handful of pancreas transplant programmes in the country, whereas there are a large number of patients with diabetes and kidney failure.”
The pancreas was transplanted into a 28-year-old woman who had been struggling with diabetes and had been on multiple daily insulin injections since the age of eight. She is now showing clear signs of recovery.
“We have the experience of nearly 10 such organs being transported from various hospitals across north India, including AIIMS Rishikesh, AIIMS Jodhpur and Sir Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi, in addition to those retrieved from hospitals in the tricity — Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali,” he said.
Coordinating the complex multi-state logistics, Dr (Maj) RPS Bhogal, Associate Professor, Department of Hospital Administration, PGIMER, said, “This mission was a test of real-time coordination under extreme pressure.”