Dalia teachers 'heart' rebuilds life for 12-year-old; SCT hosptial conducts historic heart transplant surgery

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sree Chitra Institute of Medical Science carried out their first successful heart transplant surgery on Monday. The recipient is 12-year-old Anushka while the donor was Dalia, a teacher from Karunagapally, Kollam.

Dalia, who was undergoing treatment for internal bleeding, had suffered brain stem death the previous day. The surgery was completed under the leadership of Dr Soumya Raman. The surgery was performed on Anushka, who is suffering from cardiomyopathy.

Sree Chithra will now have the distinction of being the second institute in the government sector to perform heart transplant surgery. Kottayam Medical College had earlier successfully performed the heart transplant surgery. Dalia, who was undergoing treatment at KIMS Hospital Thiruvananthapuram, has donated five organs including her heart. It took barely minutes for the heart to be successfully transported to SCT after the donor’s death.