Berhampur: The voluntary donation of bodies after death is slowly gaining acceptance here. The family of a retired OAS officer donated his body to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital Tuesday.
Radhaballav Patnaik, 67, was staying with his wife Manomita at Chandraprabha Sahi here. He died June 2, after battling geriatric problems.
Patnaik served as BDO and tehsildar before retiring as the deputy commissioner of the Berhampur Municipal Corporation. He was suffering from old age problems, but kept himself busy in social work.
The donation of his body was delayed by a day as his two daughters were staying in the US and in Bangalore.
Patnaik’s daughters arrived here Monday and donated his body to the anatomy department of MKCG Medical College for research in the presence of CPM state secretary Ali Kishore Patnaik, Yudhistir Behera and others.
Dr Sadashiv Rath, head of the anatomy department, completed the formalities connected with the donation of Patnaik’s body.
This is the fourth body donation in the 56-year history of MKCG Medical College and Hospital.
The body of trade union leader Rama Chandra Nayak was the first to be donated to the hospital.
Later, the family of Kusum Das, wife of CPM state secretary Ali Kishore Patnaik, donated her body to the hospital in May 2018. Kusum was a reader by profession.
Later the body of Aparna Sahu of Chikiti was donated to the hospital by her family members.
Thirty-two people who were attending the memorial service of Kusum pledged to donate their bodies after death and signed the consent form. Medical colleges embalm bodies and use them to teach anatomy to medicos.