Chandigarh is witnessing a change with regard to the people’s approach towards cadaver (body) donations. The department of Anatomy, PGI Chandigarh received 25 bodies from people living in tricity of Chandigarh, Mohali & Panchkula in 2014 for medical research. Dr. Daisy Sawhney, head of the department of anatomy, PGI said that due to continuous awareness workshops in the tricity, the number of people pledging their bodies for research also increased manifold.
“After 2008, we received 2000 plus, such people pledging their bodies for such noble cause, it is indeed encouraging”, said Dr. Sawhney. She said generally they receive bodies from people living in the tricity or up to Ambala or Yamunanagar, so that their bodies may not decompose. The number of body donations increased gradually, PGI authorities said.
In 1998, 2001 and 2002, PGI had no cadaver donations. In 2006 and 2007, the department received one body each. In 2008, the number was three, which went up a little in 2009, though did not exceed 10.