A 20-month-old girl, who succumbed to her injuries at a New Delhi hospital this week, has become India's youngest organ donor.
20-month-Dhanishtha, who succumbed to her injuries last after falling from terrace, has become #India's youngest organ donor. Doctors at Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital say that the toddler's heart, liver, both kidneys and both corneas were donated to save five lives. pic.twitter.com/GB21jELZY5
— Dhairya Maheshwari (@dhairyam14) January 14, 2021
According to a statement by New Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital on Thursday, the heart, liver, both kidneys and both corneas of the toddler were transplanted to five other patients after her death.
“During our stay at the hospital we met many patients who were in dire need of organs. Though we lost our loved one, still our daughter continues to live and in the process either giving life or will be improving quality of life of needy patients,” said the girl’s father Ashish Kumar.
“Despite the irreparable loss of their girl child, the parents had the magnanimity to donate her organs,” said the doctors.
The hospital said that more people like the girl’s parents are needed to come forward in a bid to address the acute organ donor crisis facing the country.
“At 0.26 per million, India has among the lowest rate of organ donation. On an average, 500,000 Indians die every year due to a lack of organs,” noted Dr. D. S. Rana, the Chairman at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.