Free annual health check-up for body donor's spouse in KGMU

Every month, one or two bodies are donated to the Anatomy department of KGMU and over 400 bodies have been donated in the last 20 years.

Lucknow: The King George's Medical University (KGMU) has decided to provide free annual health check-up for the spouse of a person whose body is donated for medical education.

KGMU's working council has approved the proposal recently to motivate more people to donate their bodies. Families of many people, who pledge their bodies beforehand, do not inform after death as a result of which those bodies can't be used, said doctors.

KGMU's anatomy department head Dr Punita Manik said, "Even after death if my body is of some use then it is a great thing. Some organs of the deceased person can be useful for someone and also benefits medical students. In the last 20 years, more than 400 people donated the bodies of their relatives after their death. Presently, 4,000 people have registered for body donation. Every month one or two bodies are donated to the department," Dr Manik said.

The annual health check-up for the donor's spouse will be the same as that exists for the employees and teachers. Along common tests and those including screening for vital organs like kidney, liver and heart, the hospital will also conduct Pap Smear and Mammogram tests for women.

This apart, the hospital will also provide free medical treatment as per the health check-up report to the spouse of the body donor. The hospital is yet to take a decision in case the donor is a child,

Sharing some instances of body donation, Dr Manik said that one Phulchand Ram, resident of Ashiana died on July 12, 2012. His family donated his body as per his last wish. His son Keshav Kumar said initially he did not support his father's decision but after learning about the importance of body donation, he changed his mind as it is one of the most noble deeds. He said that even after his father is gone, he will remain immortal in the world of medicine.

Similarly, Sadhana, daughter of Krishna Kumar Srivastava of Yahiyaganj, was differently challenged since birth and died at the age of 28 on July 6, 2013. Sadhana wanted to donate her body so that the doctors could understand why she got this disease so that anyone, who had this disease could be cured. Her father said that his daughter has made him proud even after her death.