THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The huge inflow of patients with chronic liver diseases at the hospitals is causing concern in the state. The lack of cheaper options for liver transplantation in the government sector is compounding the problem. With the private hospitals charging exorbitant rates for liver transplant, the demand for reopening the liver transplant unit at the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Thiruvananthapuram has again come to the fore.
“In the government sector, it is only at the MCH, Thiruvananthapuram that a liver transplant unit is available. But the unit had to wind up its operation after the very first patient succumbed to infection during transplantation. The demand now is to reopen it,” said an officer of the Health Department. According to the officer, as the government is keen to restart its operations, it had asked the Directorate of Medical Education to look into the matter and to submit a detailed report. It is learnt that the proposal submitted by the DME is now under consideration of the government.
When asked about this, DME Dr A Remla Beevi said, “The proposal is yet to be submitted as an evaluation of the existing facilities and the changes required will have to be studied. But the reopening of the liver transplant unit at MCH Thiruvananthapuram is under active consideration and the procedures for the same will be completed in a time-bound manner.”
However, MCH authorities said that it will be only after the full-fledged functioning of the new emergency medicine department and the two ICUs being set up there, that a call will be taken on restarting the unit.
“The very first cadaver organ transplant had taken place at the MCH in 2016. But it was not because of the fault of the MCH that the very first case handled by the transplant unit became a failure. The patient who had undergone the liver transplant succumbed because he got an infection from the donor who was declared brain dead,” said an MCH officer.
The inhibitions
Meanwhile, the complexity involved with liver transplantation and the high chances for infectious complications of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation is said to be the reasons that blocked the Health Department from reopening the centre.
“A centre that carries out a liver transplant unit should have a host of sophisticated equipment as well as a special transplant ICU. Also, it should have to be ensured that infection control measures are intact. Though the MCH had such facilities, an appraisal on the existing facilities is needed,” said the MCH officer. The other day, Health Minister K K Shailaja had stated in the assembly that the reopening of the liver transplant unit at MCH is under active consideration of the government.
setting hopes on govt
In the government sector, a liver transplant unit is available only at MCH, Thiruvananthapuram
The first cadaver organ transplant took place at the MCH in 2016