Nepali girl out of danger after heart transplantation in Ernakulam General Hospital

KOCHI: The health condition of the Nepalese woman identified as Durga Kami (22), who underwent a heart transplant surgery at the Ernakulam General Hospital, is satisfactory. The doctors said that she has overcome the risks and has no other issues. She is presently under the observation of doctors. The heart transplant surgery was performed at around 6.30 pm yesterday.

Durga has been undergoing treatment at the General Hospital for over six months. She was suffering from a heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Her mother and sister had died of the same disease. Her father had also died earlier. Only her brother is alive now. She first sought treatment at a hospital in Lucknow and then in Kathmandu, Nepal. Durga came to Kochi on the advice of a Malayali friend who said that she would get better treatment in Kerala. In the meantime, the disease had worsened several times. Durga's heart transplant surgery was done after going through many legal hurdles.

Ernakulam General Hospital has become the first district level hospital in the country to perform a heart transplant. The heart of Shibu (47) of Chirakkal at Edavattom in Kollam, who was declared brain dead after an accident was donated to Durga. The heart was airlifted from Thiruvananthapuram.