Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) A young man who desperately wanted to donate his dead father’s organs said Wednesday that lethargy at the hospital and by the police combined to spike his wish.
Sarvan Kumar said his father Murari Lal, 70, passed away at the Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Hospital (LNJP) here at around 9.30 a.m. Tuesday.

According to Kumar, Rakesh Agarwal, secretary of NGO NyayaBhoomi, suggested that the dead man’s organs could be given away as donation.

“I liked the idea and approached the doctors but they asked me instead to call an eye bank to donate his eyes,” Kumar told IANS.

Volunteers of the NGO soon reached the hospital and tried to help.

“The doctors then asked us get a police verification for organ donation. So I called up officer Babu Ram at the Jahangirpuri police station but he did not listen to us,” said Naushad Ansari, an autorickshaw driver and a NyayaBhoomi volunteer.

“Then we took the body to the morgue and urged people there to do the necessary procedures for organ removal and donation. But they said it was past 12 noon and their shift was over,” Ansari added.

When contacted, a hospital official who declined to give her full name admitted a wrong had been done.

“This is a system failure. I admit it but I am helpless as I am also part of the system. If there was proper coordination, the organs could have been donated,” the official told IANS.

Rakesh Agarwal said: “This is one case of somebody trying to donate organs that we happened to know. I think many people would not come forward just because of the irresponsible behaviour of officials.”