Ernakulam: Vital organs of 36-year-old Selvin Shekhar, a nurse in a hospital in Tamil Nadu, who was declared brain dead were airlifted by a special helicopter to transplant to three patients at two hospitals in Kochi on Saturday.
While Selvin's heart is being transplanted into 16-year-old Harinarayanan, who is admitted at Lisie Hospital, one of his kidneys and pancreas are being taken through green corridor to Aster Medcity Hospital. Meanwhile, Selvin's eyes will be donated to two patients at Thiruvanthapuram Government Eye Hospital and his second kidney to a patient in KIMS Hospital in Thiruvanthapuram.
Selvin, a resident of Vilavancode in Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district was declared brain dead at KIMS Hospital in Thiruvanthapuram on November 24. His wife, a nurse informed Selvin's intention of donating his organs following which procedure was initiated.
His heart, one kidney and pancreas were carried in a government helicopter from Thiruvanthapuram to Kochi this morning. The air ambulance with the heart landed at the helipad of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Ernakulam and within five minutes, it was taken to Lisie Hospital by road. With assistance of minister P. Rajeev, the government helicopter was allowed to deliver the heart.
Harinarayan, a patient at Lisie Hospital had dilated cardiomyopathy. His brother Suryanarayan underwent a heart transplant at Lisie Hospital in 2021 due to a similar ailment. Even then, the heart was brought from Thiruvananthapuram in a state government helicopter. This is the 28th heart transplant surgery at Lisie Hospital.
The surgery is being conducted under the leadership of Dr. Jose Chacko Periyapuram. A medical team led by Dr. Jeevesh Thomas reached KIMS Hospital last night, who was handed over the heart.
One of Selvin's kidneys will be donated to a patient at KIMS Hospital and the other kidney and pancreas will be donated to two patients at Aster Medcity Hospital in Kochi.
Selvin was admitted at a local hospital in Vilavancode in Kanyakumari district and then shifted to KIMS Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on November 21 after he suffered a severe headache. On examination, it was found that there was bleeding in the brain and he was declared brain dead on November 24.
Traffic restrictions were imposed in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi while the organs were carried in a special helicopter to the hospital. The organ donation is being conducted through Kerala government sponsored Mrithasanjeevani scheme.
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