Green corridor helps in saving five lives in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Seventeen-year-old Kiran Kumar, who was declared brain dead on Saturday after a joyride ended in a tragic accident, gave fresh life to five people when his distraught parents agreed to donate his heart, kidneys, liver and eyes. Kumar's heart travelled 32 km in 23 minutes to be transplanted to a 35-year-old man.

This was made possible by Bengaluru Police who created a green corridor--a signal-free stretch--on Sunday for Kumar's harvested organs to reach the recipients in time.

Kumar's eyes were sent for transplantation to Narayana Nethralaya, his liver was harvested for a 48-year-old woman, a kidney was transplanted to a 58-yearold man and another to an unidentified beneficiary .



Here is what the various people who became involved in this parade had to say about the events that unfolded on Sunday.

Prabhu Kumar Father of Kiran Kumar

Prabhu Kumar Father of Kiran Kumar, a contractor, spoke to ET just after his son's last rites. “We lost our son and he is not going to come back. At the same time, there are many people whom we can save.So I decided to donate his organs. I can see my son in five people," Kumar said.

Mahendra Das

Uncle of Rishi Shiwakoti, recipient of Kiran Kumar's heart "We are grateful to Kiran and his family. We pray to god to give strength to his family to bear his loss. Kiran and his family have given a new life to Rishi as he was suffering from a heart problem from the past eight years and has two kids. He is a cloth merchant. Earlier he was admitted to a Chennai hospital and five months ago he was shifted to NH Health City."

Dr Srikanth KV

Tra Transplant cardiologist, Hea t City NH Health Once the heart is taken out from a donor's body, it has to be harvested within four hours, said Srikanth, who was part of the team that transplanted Kumar's heart to Shiwakoti. "Whoever is suffering from a heart problem and needs a transplantation has to register with the Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka for Transplantation (ZCCK)."

MA Saleem

Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) "We received a message in the morning from the hospital and ZCCK to arrange for a green corridor. Then we sent a message to all traffic police stations on that stretch.We also sent escort vehicles along with the ambulance," says Saleem, who oversaw the green corridor on Sunday. About 100 policemen participated in the exercise.