A rare feat in medical treatment

Kottayam Medical College has achieved a rare feat by becoming the first government hospital in Kerala to successfully perform a lung transplant surgery. Along with this, the hospital has also earned the distinction of performing a heart, kidney and lung transplant all on the same day. Congratulations to all the doctors, nurses, assistants, and staff of the Medical College who worked tirelessly to make this historic achievement possible.

Usually, government hospitals are often in the news for complaints. But when we look at the dedicated service that government doctors provide under many limitations, it becomes clear that the number of complaints is quite small in comparison. The public should recognise the great achievement made by Kottayam Medical College despite facing many challenges. The lung transplant was performed on Divya, a woman from Mundakayam, whose lungs were damaged due to exposure to pesticides. The heart was transplanted to MA Mathew, a 57-year-old man from Ernakulam. This was the 11th heart transplant surgery at the Kottayam Medical College. A kidney was also transplanted to Ajith Kumar from Pathanamthitta.

The heart and lung transplant surgeries were led by Dr TK Jayakumar, cardiothoracic specialist and superintendent of the hospital, while the kidney transplant was led by Dr Rajeevan. The organs came from AR Aneesh (38), a Deputy Prison Officer at Poojappura Central Jail in Thiruvananthapuram, who was declared brain-dead recently. Aneesh's family members, who generously agreed to donate his organs, giving new life to three individuals, are also worthy of appreciation and remembrance.

Aneesh’s second kidney was taken to Ernakulam Medical Trust Hospital, and both his hands were sent to Amrita Hospital in Kochi. Before this, lung transplant surgeries in government hospitals had been performed only at AIIMS Delhi and Stanley Medical College, Chennai. It is also worth noting that the first liver and heart transplants in Kerala were done at Kottayam Medical College.

Organ donation provides a new chance at life for many and is one of the great possibilities in modern medicine. When such surgeries happen in government hospitals, there is no concern of organ trade, and the benefits reach truly deserving people. Therefore, the Health Department should actively promote awareness programs to encourage more people to register for organ donation. The government should also consider starting a dedicated hospital for organ transplantation in the public sector.