Punjab: Vipan Kumar Puri, a 71-year-old retired accountant from Tower Enclave, Jalandhar, was known for his cheerful spirit and willingness to help others. Even after his death, his legacy of kindness continues, as he saved the lives of two people by donating both his kidneys. Puri was admitted to Shriman Super Speciality Hospital in Jalandhar on January 23 after his blood pressure shot up, causing him to suffer a hemorrhagic stroke. A medical team determined that Puri was brain-stem dead, and a government-designated team made the official declaration. While his family was struggling to cope with the situation, a team from PGIMER, Chandigarh, was called in to counsel the family about the option of organ donation. “We were initially hesitant and overwhelmed with grief, unable to accept that our father was gone,” said Rahul Puri, the donor’s son who works for a US-based multinational corporation. “There were many awareness posters about organ donation in the hospital, but we did not seriously consider it until we were constantly counselled by Dr Navdeep Bansal of PGIMER.”
While Rahul was open to the idea, some less-educated family members initially opposed the idea, even fearing a possible scam. However, after the process was explained to him under the supervision of the Jalandhar deputy commissioner and assured that it was legal, the family gave their consent for the donation. Despite their grief, the family was comforted by the fact that their father’s philanthropic spirit lived on through this final act. “When we took him home, we could not perform the ritual bath prevalent in our family, but we sprinkled Ganga jal on him and bid him farewell,” Rahul said. After getting the consent, the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation of Punjab (SOTTO-Punjab) and the Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO-North) began the process of allocating a kidney. One kidney was allocated to a patient at a private hospital in Mohali, while the other was given to a patient at a private hospital in Ludhiana. With the support of police and Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Dr Himanshu Aggarwal, a green corridor was created to ensure safe and speedy transport of organs from Jalandhar to both cities.
When Vipan Puri’s body was shifted to the mortuary, the medical team honoured him with a guard of honour, a moment Rahul described as extremely emotional. “It was an extremely proud moment for us. Our father emerged victorious even after his death and gave hope to two families. The support we received from the community was enormous and I shared our story on social media to raise awareness,” Rahul said. Dr Rajiv Bhatia, Director and Nephrologist, Shriman Super Speciality Hospital, expressed his gratitude to the medical team and the Puri family. “This is the second time our hospital has facilitated organ donation after brain death. Our goal is to establish a more comprehensive organ transplant program to save lives in the region,” he said, adding that one brain-dead donor can save up to eight patients by donating kidneys, liver, lungs, heart and vital tissues. Dr Bhatia also thanked Dr Vipin Kaushal, Nodal Officer, ROTTO-North and Dr Gaganeen Kaur Sandhu, Nodal Officer, SOTTO-Punjab for their cooperation in creating awareness about organ donation. This remarkable act is expected to inspire others to consider organ donation.
