This historic procedure was carried out after SCTIMST recently received approval to perform heart transplant surgery, making it the only institute with such authorisation in the southern region. The donor is a teacher named Danny. She was admitted to KIMSHEALTH in Thiruvananthapuram for brain haemorrhage. Despite efforts to save her life, her condition deteriorated and she was declared brain dead.
Her family members took the noble decision to donate the organs. This initiative will benefit five people. With the help of police escort, the heart was rushed to SCTIMST within three minutes. Anushka, who suffered from cardiomyopathy, needed an immediate transplant due to the low pumping capacity of her heart.
State hospitals have donated three hearts this year. While 47 hospitals in Kerala are equipped to perform organ transplants, only 16 have approval for heart transplants, and only seven have performed such procedures so far.