Delhi-resident Archana Gupta, who was fatally injured by celebratory gunshots fired at an ex-JDU MLA’s party on New Year’s Eve, was declared brain dead on 2 January.
Her family, displaying enormous strength and grit in their hour of grief decided to donate her kidneys. An NOC was obtained from the Delhi Police since this is a medico-legal case. Gupta was brought to the Emergency wing of Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj on New Year’s Day in an extremely critical condition.
She was present at the New Year’s Eve party, at BJP leader and former JDU MLA Raju Singh's farmhouse in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj, with her husband and friends. The celebratory gunshots were allegedly fired by Singh himself.
This example of a noble act by the family goes on to benefit the larger cause of organ donation. Archana is survived by husband Vikas Gupta and two children.
Till 2 January, the patient continued to be in a critical state and on life support. Despite best efforts by team of doctors the patient could not be revived. That is when the proposal to donate her organs was discussed with the family.
According to NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization), once a patient is declared brain dead, the hospital can approach the family for the organ donation. Post consultation, the family agreed to donate her kidneys.
NOTTO protocol and guidelines also stipulate that any hospital has to inform it about a possible organ donation after which the government body decides as to which organ is to be sent to which hospital and specific locations based on a list of priority recipients. In this case, after the necessary approvals and the hospital-wise list was decided by NOTTO, one kidney was sent to Apollo Hospital and the other given to Fortis, Vasant Kunj.
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