New Delhi/ Chennai: Generosity of South Indians in cadaver donation of hearts and lungs have saved many a life of North Indians. The collaboration between Faridabad based Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) and Chennai based MGM healthcare, inarguably the best facility, for cooperative heart and lung transplants raises hopes for North Indians to next level.
The signing took place on Tuesday in Delhi with showcasing of north Indian heart failure patients who got new lease of life @MGM. It will go a long way in making launch of Heart and Lung transplant program in North India a great success.
Sample the patients who got heart transplanted:
Khdag Singh Bhadana, 55, of Faridabad got heart transplant 7 years ago in South India is going great guns. Surprisingly, he underwent bypass and was afflicted with Covid too but his transplanted heart remained in one piece despite surviving all vicissitudes. Talking to this writer in the signing ceremony, MrBhadana said, ‘I am as good as new and leading life with all activities as usual. When my heart failed 7 years ago, I did not imagine that South India will prove a god send for me and I will come back from almost dead.’
Parvati of Delhi, 63 is beaming with life with her smile spreading from ear to ear. She got her heart transplant when she was 56. She seemed in fine fettle. Deep, 14, says with panache- before heart transplant, I could not play at all but after transplant I can now run and play even cricket. Karan Nanda, 49, of Delhi got transplant some seven years ago and boasts of playing golf now. He is doing his job in a company.
All these cadaver hearts were gifted by families of South India’s brain dead people. Doctors of MGM healthcare at launch claimed some of patients lived upto 25 years after the heart transplant. They showcased in a video80-year-old patient who after transplant celebrated his 81st birth day. By the look of him, it seemed he would celebrate many more b days.
As for lung transplant, MGM turned out saviour for large number of COVID patients whose lung had gone bust. International JCI, the ultimate rating agency in the world makes MGM Healthcare South Asia’s number one transplant facility. Dr KR Balakrishnan, the doyen of heart lung transplant with 500 heart transplants under his belt, makes MGM a cut above the rest. He joined the signing ceremony through video conference, his coming here was stalled by a transplant alert he got just before he would have boarded his flight.
Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) has pulled off a coup of sorts by collaborating with MGM. There are more than 5 lakh heart failure patientsincluding large number of North Indians whose lives are hanging from the thread due to lack of cadaver hearts. They are to greatly benefit from this collaboration. This collaboration has resulted into a state of art Heart and Lung Transplant centre at Faridabad based Asian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS). This centre in North India is bound to greatlyhelp needy patients in this region.
The interlocutors said the collaborators will help in creating the smooth availability of heart and lung transplants in North India besides raising awareness of organ donation in the country. Dr Narendra Kumar Pandey, Chairman & Managing Director, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences said, “There is a dearth of organ donation and good quality transplant centres in Northern states which results in either the patients having to travel to the South or to procure organs from nearby states for transplantation.” Both the issues result in inconvenience and increased cost to patients. The program aims to address these issues and provide valuable and actionable solutions for organ transplantation.
MGM Healthcare Director, Dr. Prashanth Rajagopalan said, ‘The association with Asian Hospital is strategic, which will help sharing knowledge and on-site transplant support from the team of experts from MGM Healthcare Chennai.’
Dr Ravi Kumar R, Senior Consultant & Associate Clinical Lead Cardiology & Heart Failure Program emphasized that ‘The Southern states of India have a significantlyhigher rate of organ donation as compared to rest of the country and hencehave anumber of highly advanced transplant centresdealingwithcadavericorgans.’
Dr KR Balakrishnan, Director, Institute of Heart & Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support, MGM Healthcare, Chennai,said “Our clinical team at MGM Healthcare has repeatedly manoeuvred difficult conditions to ensure organ transplants are successful and today joining hands with Asian Hospitals will ensure the process is eased further and ensure timely service for many in this region.”
Dr. Amit Chaudhary Associate Director, Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery said “India lags behind severalothercountries across the globe in terms of access to donatedorgans. Although there are enough organs available for transplantation, the waiting list for an organ transplant is long due to logistic issues and patients have to waitfor their turn. Lackof awareness aboutorgan donation is cited as one of the greatest roadblocks to organ transplant.”
Dr Suresh Rao KG is the Co-Director of the Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support, stressed the need for a state of art Heart Lung Transplant centre in North India.
