PGI conducts 6th heart transplant

Chandigarh, July 25

The sixth heart transplant was conducted on a 13-year-old boy at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, today.

The selfless gesture of the family of the heart donor, a 10-year-old brain-dead girl from Kharar, Mohali, gave a new lease of life to a total of three persons as her kidneys were also donated to two patients. The donor had a fatal fall from a height at her home on July 14 and was rushed to the PGI on the same day.

Another 11-year-old brain-dead patient gave the gift of life to two kidney-failure patients on July 22. Amandeep from Chikha village, Rupnagar district, was admitted to the PGI with intracranial bleed on July 16. His condition kept worsening and finally he was declared brain dead.

The PGI Director, Prof Jagat Ram, said, “Despite the surge in Covid-19 cases, the PGI team was successful in saving five lives.”

Prof Ashish Sharma, Head, Department of Renal Transplant Surgery, PGI, who led the procedure for the transplant of four kidneys, said, “There were challenges during kidney transplant in view of the Covid pandemic. Special precautions were taken to proceed with the transplant. The donor and the recipients were tested and confirmed to be negative for Covid-19. Fortunately, all kidney recipients are stated to be doing fine. The recipients are grateful to the donor families as all were on dialysis for more than three years.” — TNS