New Delhi: The treatment of non COVID patients in the midst of Coronavirus Pandemic is indeed one hell of a task. But Sir Ganga Ram Hospital is undeterred by the daunting crisis and handling both COVID and Non-COVID patients with equanimity. Free liver transplant on a 10 year old girl from West Bengal amply exemplifies this.
The care of patients suffering from chronic illnesses has been affected badly amidst the gloom and doom of Coronavirus pandemic as most of the hospitals are busy preparing for and catering to the needs of those suffering from the deadly virus. Moreover, people are afraid of visiting the hospitals and are not seeking medical advice in time leading to the worsening of these chronic patients.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has been at the forefront of providing medical care to the covid patients on one hand and on the other special arrangements have been made so that non covid patients are not exposed to the virus and are taken care off well to prevent worsening of their diseases. All the medicines as well as surgical units are working fully.
Amidst this crisis, a 10 years female child from West Bengal presented in the pediatric department with liver failure and altered consciousness. She had to be admitted in the pediatric ICU and put on a ventilator due to her sick condition. Workup revealed that she was suffering from a genetic disorder called Wilson disease which affects multiple organs especially liver and brain.
As she already had advanced disease, she needed a living donor liver transplant without which she could not have been saved. As parents were unable to make financial arrangements for liver transplant, funds were arranged by the hospital with the help of philanthropic organizations and all the necessary arrangements were made for the extensive surgery. The child’s mother donated a part of her liver and multispecialty teams involving pediatric hepatology, pediatric intensive care and liver transplant unit coordinated to successfully perform the liver transplant surgery. She was removed from the ventilator the very next day after the surgery and shifted to ward after 5 days of ICU stay where she recovered well and was then discharged.
Due to lockdown in the whole country, the family couldn’t return to their native place and had to stay in Delhi only, they were thoroughly supported by the hospital both economically as well as socially so that the family could take care of the child well during these tough times. At present, the child is doing well and the family is being shifted back to their native place. This highlights the importance of timely intervention which saved this child. It is the earnest request to the citizens not to ignore their symptoms and seek timely medical help to prevent complications.
