Ernakulam General Hospital set to perform heart transplant on Nepalese woman
KOCHI: In a landmark moment for public healthcare in India, the Ernakulam General Hospital is set to perform a heart transplant for a Nepalese woman on Monday. This is the first time a district-level government hospital undertakes such complex procedure. The recipient is 21-year-old Durga Kaami, a native of Nepal, who has been battling a rare genetic heart condition since childhood. She will receive the heart of Shibu, a Kollam native who was declared brain-dead following a road accident. Durgas family had registered with the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO) eight months ago. However, as she is not an Indian citizen, she was initially excluded from the priority list for organ allocation. The family later approached the Kerala High Court, which, in a crucial intervention last month, directed that she be included in the list. Based on the High Courts order issued in November, Durga was included in the priority list. When a matching donor became available, we were able to proceed with the transplant and save her life, said Dr Shahirshah, Superintendent of Ernakulam General Hospital. Apart from the heart, Shibus kidneys, liver, eyes and skin have also been donated, benefiting multiple recipients. The heart and liver were airlifted from Thiruvananthapuram and are expected to reach Ernakulam by this afternoon. The transplant surgery will be led by cardiothoracic surgeon Dr George Vallooran, with Durga having been under the care of cardiologist Dr Paul Thomas at the hospital. The entire team is fully prepared. This is a proud moment not just for the hospital, but for the public health system as a whole, Dr Shahirshah said. The successful completion of the transplant is expected to set a new benchmark for district hospitals across the country, highlighting Keralas advances in organ transplantation and equitable healthcare access, officials said.
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