Chandigarh, Aug 13 (IANS): For a father, it was a tough call to save the lives of four persons by donating the organs of his 35-year-old son, but he felt it was the right call.

Ram Bachan, the grief-stricken father of Ajayesh Kumar, said on Friday that he consented for organ donation when his son was declared brain dead by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMR) here.

"It was a very tough call, but still we felt that it was the right call," said Bachan, after consenting for organ donation when his son was declared brain dead.

Incidentally, the World Organ Donation Day is observed across the globe on August 13 (Friday).

"In fact, the organ donation affirmed for us that saying 'no' would mean denying other people the chance to live, making their families undergo the same unbearable pain which we are confronted with after losing our son in his prime.

"Who would know more than us what it means and how it hurts. So we had to say 'yes' to organ donation," Bachan said with moist eyes.

Ajayesh Kumar, 35, a resident of Ropar in Punjab, was admitted to the PGIMER following a fatal road accident on July 23.

Since then, it has been a battle between life and death for Kumar though neither the family nor the attending medical team left any stone unturned to save him.

But as was destined, Kumar's condition became irretrievable on August 9. Assessing this, PGIMER's internal committee, after meeting twice, found the parameters matching with brain death and eventually he was declared brain dead on the evening of August 9.

In the meantime, transplant coordinators at the PGIMER apprised the deceased's relatives of the prospects of utilising his organs through donation for transplants to terminally ill organ failure patients.

With the deceased's wife Sushma and his father Ram Bachan consenting to the proposal of organ donation, the departments concerned started reaching out to the matching recipients.

Finally, the cross-match of several potential recipients led to the identification of matching recipients for kidneys and pancreas in the PGIMER.

Sushma, the courageous wife of the donor, said, "My husband was very caring and sacrifice was virtually his second nature. Compassion and helping others was the core of his being. So organ donation has been the extension of his generous spirit only. With this final act, the good has come full circle."

Detailing about the latest cadaver organ donation, Vipin Koushal, Additional Medical Superintendent and Nodal Officer of Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO), said, "The kidneys and pancreas harvested from the deceased enabled second lease of life to two patients battling for survival here."

"The retrieved corneas restored the sight of two corneal blind patients, impacting the lives of four patients in all. I earnestly hope that the donor family's selfless gesture inspires more people to say 'yes' to organ donation and help save those dying waiting for a transplant," Koushal added.

"The basic premise of observing World Organ Donation Day (on August 13) every year is to motivate people to join the cause and pledge for organ donation. Nothing can be more motivational on this day than actually saving lives through organ donation," said PGIMER Director Jagat Ram.