THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has initiated its first heart transplantation, marking a significant milestone in medical care. The doctors will transplant the heart of a Karunagapally native, who was declared brain dead on Sunday, to Anushka, a 12-year-old girl from Thiruvananthapuram.
This landmark procedure comes after SCTIMST recently obtained approval to perform heart transplant surgeries, making it the sole institution in the Southern region with such authorization. The donor is a teacher named Dany. She was admitted to KIMSHEALTH in Thiruvananthapuram for a brain haemorrhage. Despite the efforts to save her life, her condition worsened and she was declared brain dead.
Her family members took the noble decision to donate the organs. As many as five recipients will benefit from the gesture. The heart was swiftly transported to SCTIMST within three minutes, facilitated by a police escort. Anushka, suffering from cardiomyopathy, urgently needed the transplant due to her heart's diminished pumping capacity.
The hospitals in the state have carried out three heart donations this year. While 47 hospitals in Kerala are equipped to perform organ transplantations, only 16 have clearance for heart transplants, and thus far, only seven have conducted such procedures.