In a landmark achievement for Indian healthcare, the Ernakulam General Hospital (GH) in Kerala has successfully performed the country's first-ever heart transplant surgery at a district-level government facility. The historic operation, conducted on Monday, gave a new lease of life to a 22-year-old Nepali woman, marking a significant milestone in making advanced cardiac care more accessible.
A Journey of Hope and Tragedy
The recipient of the life-saving organ is Durga Kami, a 22-year-old from Nepal who had been battling a severe hereditary heart condition called cardiac sarcoidosis. An orphan, Durga's life has been marked by profound loss; her mother and elder sister both succumbed to the same disease. She has only one younger brother alive. With no family to care for them, the siblings lived in an orphanage until a compassionate Malayali benefactor, who arranged for their treatment, brought them to Kerala. They currently reside in an orphanage run by the same agency in Kalamassery.
Durga had been undergoing treatment at Ernakulam GH for the past year. Her complex case required special permission from the Kerala High Court for her continued care in the state. The donor was S Shibu, a 46-year-old man from Kollam. Shibu was critically injured in a road accident on December 14 when he fell from his scooter in Mookkattukunnu, Kollam, at around 6:30 PM. After initial treatment at Kollam Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), he was transferred to Thiruvananthapuram MCH on December 15 for specialized care. He was later declared brain dead on Sunday, and his family, in an act of immense generosity amidst their grief, consented to donate his organs.
The Race Against Time: A Multi-City Mission
The complex logistics for the transplant were executed with military precision under the direct instructions of Kerala Health Minister Veena George. Extensive facilities were specially arranged at the district hospital to undertake this high-stakes procedure.
The cardio team, led by renowned heart and vascular surgeon Dr. George J Valooran, embarked on a critical mission in the early hours. They left for Thiruvananthapuram by road around 3 AM, retrieved the donor heart, and then returned to Kochi via an air ambulance. The team departed the state capital at 2:10 PM, landed at the Bolgatty helipad by 2:55 PM, and rushed the organ to the hospital by 3 PM, where the surgery commenced immediately.
The heart was transported to Ernakulam using an internal department helicopter, and on the chief minister's instructions, the police ensured seamless road clearances for all vehicles involved in the multi-hospital effort. The medical education department, police, and district administrations worked in a coordinated manner, with K-Sotto (Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation) managing the organ allocation.
A Legacy of Life: Multiple Recipients Blessed
Shibu's final act of donation extended far beyond the heart transplant. In a remarkable testament to the spirit of organ donation, his organs gave life and hope to several others. While his heart went to Durga Kami, his kidneys were sent to Thiruvananthapuram Govt MCH and Travancore MCH in Kollam. His liver was allocated to Thiruvananthapuram KIMS Hospital, and his two corneas were donated to the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology. His skin was also donated to the skin bank at Thiruvananthapuram MCH.
Health Minister Veena George expressed deep gratitude and offered heartfelt condolences to Shibu's family for their courageous decision. She assured full support to Ernakulam GH for such pioneering work. Hospital Superintendent Dr. Shahirsha R. detailed that the patient was admitted on Sunday, and all necessary retests were completed before the surgery.
This successful surgery not only saves a young life but also shatters the glass ceiling for district hospitals in India, proving that with the right infrastructure, coordination, and expertise, life-saving complex procedures can be performed closer to communities, potentially transforming the landscape of organ transplant accessibility in the country.
