GUWAHATI: Adhering to the terms of her will, the eyes and body of eminent singer Sudakshina Sarma were donated to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for furtherance of medical research by her family members on Monday
The donation was made without incurring any delay after her demise in the morning.
A senior doctor of GMCH, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the eye donation was completed after the singer’s body was handed over to the hospital, as the process has to be completed within a period of 4-6 hours after death.
He added that the whole body has been kept for carrying on medical research.
The doctor further informed that as far as organ donation in Assam is concerned, only the procedure for eye donation is performed here in Assam.
Due to the lack of infrastructure, the process for donation of other body organs is not performed in Assam. Other than eye donation, the whole body is donated to the anatomy department of GMCH for medical research, the doctor added.
The doctor went on to add that if the infrastructure is developed in Assam, it will help people donate other organs which has the potential to save many lives.
After death, a person has the capacity to save the lives of at least eight persons who have lesser chance of survival by donating several vital organs. Moreover, several disabilities of such persons can be eliminated by using various organs of a body. Even donation of skin can be of aid to people suffering burn injuries, the doctor said.
The body process for donation was done through the Ellora Vigyan Mancha (EVM), an organisation that has been actively engaged in campaigning for and encouraging voluntary blood donation, as well as eye and organ donation or whole body donation after one’s death. The body can be used for transplantation purposes or for enriching medical science, which will be used for the benefit of mankind.
EVM’s general secretary Kamalesh Gupta informed that the will for her eye and whole body donation for medical research purpose was earlier signed by the singer during Rongali Bihu in April. This was done when the Mancha members went to extend Bihu greetings to her. She was bedridden at the time.
The will was signed with Gupta and Jagadish Dutta signing as witnesses. Her daughter-in-law Hirashri Sarma body handed over the body to the anatomy department of the GMCH on Monday.
With this donation, the Mancha has completed 198 body donations to various medical colleges, including AIIMS. The veteran singer’s husband Dilip Sarma, who died in 2008, had also donated his eyes.
The initiative taken by Sudakshina Sarma of organ and whole body donation is sure to inspire many others, Gupta said.
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