21 patients from Myanmar arrive at Delhi hospital for organ transplant

Twenty-one people from Myanmar, with chronic cases of kidney, liver and cardiovascular diseases, have arrived in Delhi to undergo organ transplant at a city hospital.

According to a statement by the hospital, these patients have been waiting for organ transplants for over six months now. Easing of travel restrictions has come as a respite for these patients requiring specialised medical attention, it said.

"The Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals along with the Indian Embassy has arranged for a special chartered flight to get these patients to India for immediate kidney/liver transplants and expedite treatment for patients requiring attention for cardiovascular ailments. They reached India on February 5," the hospital said.

The Indian Mission in Myanmar was of great help in transporting these patients. They had been waiting for a while, some even for over six months, to get treated. These are all critically ill patients who were on regular follow up but couldn't travel for treatment, it said.

"We tried to treat them optimally through virtual consultations, but now they needed surgery," said Dr Anupam Sibal, the group medical director at the Apollo Hospitals.

The treatment for these patients will be supervised by Dr Sandeep Guleria, senior consultant in renal transplants, senior nephrologist Dr Sanjiv Jasuja, Dr Neerav Goyal, senior consultant in liver transplants and Dr Amit Mittal, consultant in interventional cardiology at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi.

Leading the renal transplant procedures Dr Guleria said, "The uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic, lockdowns, and border restrictions has proved fatal for millions of international patients who choose India for their medical treatments."

Ease in travel restrictions and also declining Covid-19 positivity rate in India has come as a relief for international patients seeking specialised medical attention, he said.

Dr Mittal said, "We have been in constant touch with the patients and have gone through their reports to access their condition. Most of the patients suffering from cardiovascular ailments have multiple blockages in their arteries and hospitals in their native country are not equipped for treatment hence the need to fly to India.

"It is essential that these patients are treated on time else they would be prone to heart attacks and lifelong heart-related ailments," he said.