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Journalism of Courage
This 46-year-old woman was ecstatic to return to Pune two decades after she had migrated to Melbourne, Australia. An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder since 2012, she had planned the trip back with her husband and two children, eager to reconnect with other family members and friends.
The reunion was held at a resort near the Pavana dam during Diwali. Unfortunately, the long-awaited homecoming turned tragic when the woman developed a severe headache that quickly worsened. On October 23, she was admitted to Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, Pune, where doctors diagnosed a stroke. Despite the doctors’ best efforts, the woman was declared brain dead on November 2.
In spite of their grief, the woman’s family decided to donate four of her organs.
“The donation was also the first in Pune from a foreign national holding an OCI card,” said Aarti Gokhale, Central Coordinator, Zonal Transplant Coordination Centre (ZTCC), Pune.
The donor was a foreign national and hence organ donation could not proceed without permission from the embassy of the donor’s country, Gokhale said. “In this case, the donor was an Australian citizen and an OCI card holder. Therefore, it was necessary to obtain approval from the Australian embassy before proceeding with the donation,” she added.
Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital authorities promptly sent an email to the embassy requesting permission for organ donation. “It was a Sunday, a non-working day, and obtaining the required approval was challenging. Despite this, due to the dedicated efforts of the hospital administration, HR department, transplant team members, Dr Urvi Shukla, transplant coordinator Vaishali Pawar, the donor’s husband, and other authorities, the necessary permission was successfully obtained,” Gokhale added.
Pamesh Gupta, CEO, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, Pune, said, “For us at Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, it was an honour to support this extraordinary act through teamwork, empathy, and precision. I am proud of our doctors, transplant coordinators, and every person who made this possible, right from reaching out to the embassy to ensuring the process is smooth. This moment is a reflection of what healthcare truly stands for: compassion in action, and the collective will to make a difference.”
The Pune ZTCC allocated the woman’s organs. Her one kidney and liver were allocated to Dr DY Patil Hospital, Pune, while the second kidney was allocated to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, Pune, and the heart to HN Reliance Hospital, Mumbai.
A green corridor was arranged by the ZTCC from Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, Pune, to HN Reliance Hospital, Mumbai, ensuring the timely transfer and transplantation of the heart.
