Chandigarh: Naib Risaldar Virender Singh died after suffering a brain stroke while serving at an altitude of 16,000 feet in Ladakh, but his final act of service came after death. The family of the Indian Army soldier donated his organs after he was declared brain dead at Command Hospital (Western Command), Chandimandir, on July 21, helping save and restore the lives of six patients across the country.Virender Singh had suffered a brain stroke while deployed at an altitude of 16,000 feet in Ladakh. He was given immediate medical aid and airlifted to Command Hospital (WC) on July 16, but could not be revived.Despite the grief, his wife, Kusum, consented to organ donation. Two kidneys, the liver, lungs and two corneas were retrieved, with the hospital carrying out its first-ever lung retrieval.Under the national organ-sharing network, one kidney and both corneas were transplanted at Command Hospital, the second kidney was allocated through the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (SOTTO), Haryana, the liver was sent to Army Hospital (Research & Referral), Delhi, and the lungs to KIMS, Hyderabad. A green corridor was created with the help of the military police, civil administration and local authorities to ensure the organs reached their destinations in time.In a statement, the Army wrote: “The Indian Army salutes the sacrifice of Naib Risaldar Virender and the selfless resolve of Smt Kusum. Their gesture stands as a shining example of humanity and resilience and shall inspire many more to pledge organ donation.”
