In a major achievement in the organ transplantation history in the country, kidneys of a brain-dead person have been successfully transplanted to two people in Bhaktapur. 

The Human Organ Transplant Centre, Bhaktapur—a government owned health facility—transplanted kidneys of Govinda Bahadur Bhujel, 30, of Sindhuli who was declared brain dead a day after he sustained severe injuries in a road accident on May 10. 

The kidneys of Bhujel were transplanted to Govinda Prasad Timilsina, 51, of Sunsari and Milan Shrestha, 15, of Lazimpat on the day he was declared brain dead. Both the patients are recuperating well, the centre said. Timilsina was discharged on Wednesday, while Shrestha is scheduled to leave the centre on Thursday.

Executive Director of the HOTC Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha said harvesting organ from a brain dead person is essential to address the demands of organs. He said a majority of transplants abroad are performed, taking out organs from the dead donors. “This is an important achievement. We hope that more family members and relatives will be convinced to donate organs of their brain dead family members,” said Dr Shrestha.  

A person is determined as brain dead when all the functions of the brain suffers the irreversible loss due to some health ailments or traumatic injuries.

The HOTC initiated the organ transplantation after Kantipur Hospital, Tinkune, informed the centre that Bhujel had been pronounced dead and his family members agreed to donate the organs. Bhujel was admitted to Kantipur Hospital on May 10 and was declared brain dead the following day. 

A team, including surgeons and counsellors from the HOTC, visited Kantipur Hospital and talked to doctors, health staff and relatives of the deceased. After the family gave their consent and completing some legal procedures with police, 

a team of surgeons harvested kidneys at around 11pm. Following on some important test reports that arrived at 1am, the surgeons transplanted the organs to the two patients at around 5:30am on May 12. “We were really excited because the organs harvested from the deceased began working as well as the ones donated by the healthy person,” said Dr Shrestha. 

The government has recently endorsed the Human Body Organ Transplantation (Regulation and Prohibition) Regulations-2016, paving the way for transplantation of organs from the brain-dead patients thus giving hopes to thousands of individuals on the waiting lists. 

The Ministry of Health had recently declared free kidney transplantation to people surviving on dialysis.

The kidney transplantation in the country began in August 2008 at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, with the Bir Hospital following suit in December 2008. More than 450 people have since benefited from the procedure.