First-ever heart transplant at Kochi district hospital; Donor heart reaches Kochi by air ambulance

Kochi: Ernakulam General Hospital is set to perform its first-ever heart transplant, making it the first district-level government hospital in Kerala to conduct the life-saving surgery. The heart donor, 47-year-old Shibu from Chirakkara, Edavattom in Kollam, who was declared brain-dead following a road accident, will save the life of 23-year-old Durga Kami from Nepal.

The donor heart was transported to Kochi via air ambulance from Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. The helicopter landed at the Grand Hyatt helipad in Kochi, and the heart was later transferred by ambulance to Ernakulam General Hospital.

Multiple organs donated

Along with the heart, Shibu’s two kidneys, liver, two corneas, and skin are being donated. Heart transplants have been done before at Kottayam Medical College, this is the first time such a procedure is happening at a district-level government hospital. The state organ donation agency, Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (K-SOTTO), had granted Ernakulam General Hospital the license for heart transplants in December last year.

Durga’s struggle and legal hurdles

Durga has been receiving treatment at Ernakulam General Hospital for the past six months. She suffers from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious heart condition caused by the rare genetic disorder Danon disease. Her mother and sister also died from the same illness, and her father passed away earlier. Only her brother remains with her.

Born and raised in an orphanage in Nepal, Durga came to Kerala after learning about treatment options through a Malayali associated with her orphanage. However, Indian organ transplantation laws posed a major challenge. Under “The Transplantation of Human Organs Act (THOA), 1994,” foreign nationals are given the lowest priority for organ allocation. Organs can only be donated to foreigners after Indian citizens from the state, region, and country have been considered.

Durga approached the High Court to explain her urgent medical condition, and the court granted her priority for the transplant, making way for this life-saving procedure.

Another milestone for Ernakulam government hospital

Ernakulam General Hospital had previously performed an open-heart surgery in 2021. This heart transplant adds a new milestone to the hospital’s surgical capabilities.