Even in death, he served: Retired Army soldier saves 4 lives through organ donation

The Army soldier's liver was successfully transplanted at Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in New Delhi, while one kidney and the corneas were transplanted at Command Hospital, Lucknow.

The team included Col Priya Ranjan, gastrointestinal surgeon, Col Bharat, urologist, Lt Col Sumanlata, transplant OT matron, Maj Sonam Pandey and Maj P Raifunissa (coordinators), Lt Col Vivek Kumar, anaesthesiologist and Maj Sanskrita, ophthalmologist.

The family of a 61-year-old retired Indian Army soldier, who was declared brain-dead after sustaining critical injuries in a road accident in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, consented to donate his organs, rising above their grief to save multiple lives.

Through their decision, the family helped save four lives, including that of a 31-year-old mother of two and a serving soldier. The organs — his kidney, liver and corneas — were harvested at Command Hospital, Lucknow, on January 4. The liver was successfully transplanted at Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in New Delhi, while one kidney and the corneas were transplanted at Command Hospital, Lucknow.

The family of the soldier, who had retired from the Army’s medical services, was counselled on organ donation by a transplant coordinator as part of ongoing efforts to raise awareness and encourage organ donation pledges.

The transplant process was led by Major General Alok Bhalla, Commandant of Command Hospital, Lucknow. Maj Gen Bhalla has previously served as head and professor of surgery at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune, and has extensive experience serving in forward areas in the Northeast.

This marked the second organ transplant case at Command Hospital, Lucknow, in the past three months since Maj Gen Bhalla assumed charge.

The medical team comprised Colonel Priya Ranjan, gastrointestinal surgeon; Col Bharat, urologist; Lieutenant Col Sumanlata, transplant OT matron; Major Sonam Pandey and Maj P Raifunissa, transplant coordinators; Lt Col Vivek Kumar, anaesthesiologist; and Maj Sanskrita, ophthalmologist.

In August last year, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi and his wife, Sunita Dwivedi, President, Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), pledged to donate their organs at the Army Hospital (Research and Referral). General Dwivedi described organ donation as a service to humanity and urged service personnel and their families to set an example for society.

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Their pledge provided a significant boost to the Armed Forces Organ Retrieval and Transplantation Authority (AORTA), which continues to promote awareness and inspire the armed forces community to lead the nation in organ donation. Families who have donated organs have also been felicitated on various occasions for their compassion and courage.

According to a Ministry of Defence statement, under the leadership of Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, AORTA has emerged as a national leader in organ retrieval and transplantation. The statement added that the Indian Army has set a record, with over 26,000 personnel pledging to donate organs in a single campaign.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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