SUMUM sets benchmark for organ donation in Odisha with latest retrieval

Bhubaneswar, Oct 30: In a significant medical achievement, the SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) in Bhubaneswar successfully harvested two organs from a brain-dead patient for the third time in 16 months, providing a critical lifeline to two seriously ill recipients on Wednesday.

The patient, Alekh Prasad Parida, a 59-year-old from the Nilagiri area of Balasore district, was admitted to SUMUM after suffering a brain stroke on Sunday. Following a negative brainstem reflex test and an apnea test, medical staff confirmed his brain death on Monday, according to Dr. Alok Panigrahi, Senior Consultant in the Critical Care Medicine department.

Once the patient's family consented to the organ donation, SUMUM coordinated with the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO) to initiate the organ harvesting process. Dr. Swetapadma Dash, CEO of SUMUM, highlighted the hospital's achievement, stating, "Today marks our third multi-organ retrieval from a single donor, reinforcing our commitment as the first hospital in the state to reach this milestone. Organ donation is crucial, and we are honored to help give recipients a renewed chance at life."

Dr. Dash expressed hopes for expanding their organ donation efforts through dedicated awareness campaigns, aiming to increase donations from three to thirty and beyond. She also mentioned that the hospital had employed Ms. Mrudumanjari, the widow of Prasenjit Mohanty, the first organ donor, emphasizing the lasting impact of such compassionate acts.

The first successful organ retrieval at SUMUM occurred in June 2023, when five organs were donated to hospitals in New Delhi and Kolkata. This was followed by another case nine months later, where two organs were harvested for patients in Mumbai and Kolkata. All procedures adhered to SOTTO's guidelines, underscoring SUMUM's leading role in promoting organ donation, according to Brig. (Dr.) Biraj Mohan Mishra, Chief of Medical Services at the hospital.