TN’s organ donation campaign turned dramatically after 2008

Will Harish Nanjappa be the ‘Hitendran’ of Karnataka? The heartbreaking story of this young man has become the fulcrum for organ donation across the state. Members of the medical fraternity and NGOs, working actively in the field, believe the tragic tale could help build awareness among youngsters about the benefits of organ donation.

In 2008 A P Hitendran, son of doctors from Tirukalukundram near Chennai met with an accident on a motorbike after he refused to wear a helmet while riding. He was declared brain dead 48 hours after the accident. Even though there was opposition from relatives the parents went ahead and donated his organs, giving a new lease of life to many. This brought a paradigm shift in the attitude of the people of Tamil Nadu towards organ donation and in the ensuing years, organ donation picked up pace.After the incident, Tamil Nadu made it mandatory for all the four government medical college hospitals in Chennai to certify brain death and motivate the relatives of the patient for organ donation…..Readmore