Thrissur, Kerala: A 34-year-old man's decision to donate part of his liver to save a critically ill friend has run into a legal and procedural hurdle after the District-Level Authorisation Committee (DLAC) rejected the application, citing insufficient proof of a long-term relationship between the donor and recipient.

The surgery was scheduled for Thursday after one-and-a-half months of physical and mental preparation. However, the application was rejected at the last moment.

VP Prem Shankar said officials had asked for evidence, including a photograph from 10 years ago, to establish the closeness of their relationship. The DLAC, chaired by the Principal-in-Charge of Alappuzha Government Medical College, Vandanam, reportedly cited reasons including that Shankar's wife, Rathika Thilak, had not visited the recipient's house before the illness.

The recipient, who is undergoing treatment at Amrita Hospital, Kochi, is said to be in deteriorating health after doctors recommended an urgent liver transplant nearly two months ago.

Shankar volunteered to donate part of his liver after no close relative was found to have a matching blood group. As the donor and recipient are not blood relatives, they were required to obtain clearance under the legal provisions governing organ transplantation.

The application included recommendation letters from MLAs C. Ravindranath and Geetha Gopi, certificates from the village officer, a police verification report, and bank records. On medical advice from Amrita Hospital, Shankar also underwent physical preparation for the surgery. He changed his diet and lifestyle to reduce his fatty liver level from 9.7 per cent to zero and lost four kilograms over one-and-a-half months.

He had also informed friends through social media that he was heading to the hospital for the surgery before the application was rejected.

Shankar is the DYFI Manalur block president, a CPM Anthikad Local Committee member, and a state council member of the Purogamana Kala Sahitya Sangham.

In a Facebook post shared on Tuesday, he wrote: "Dear friends, I have decided to donate a part of my liver to a comrade. The liver is a regenerative organ. An opportunity came before me, and I felt that, as a human being, I should do it. That is why I took this decision."

Legal action planned

Shankar said the authorities were demanding proof of friendship and humanity.

"I kept remembering the final days of my mother, who died of liver cancer. As her illness was in the final stage, we could not save her. I hoped that, through my decision, at least one person could return to life. I will now pursue legal action," he said.