Minister meets govt-funded heart transplant beneficiary

In a first, a patient falling under the below the poverty line category has undergone heart transplant under the state government's organ transplantation scheme free of cost.

Under the scheme which was launched in January, five beneficiaries have availed Kidney transplants from the Institute of Nephrology, Victoria Hospital while this is the first heart transplant.

Minister for health and family welfare B Sriramulu visited the Sanjay Hosamani, the recipient who was the first to undergo transplant under the state government's scheme for organ donation.

The heart of a 28-year-old male donor from Periyapattana near Mysuuru has been transplanted to the beneficiary. The donor met with an accident and was declared brain dead on August 15.

His organs were harvested on August 16 and the heart was transplanted to the 39-year-old recipient at Narayana Health in Bengaluru. The recipient hails from Jamakandi Taluk in Bagalkot district.

According to officials at the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust, the recipient is a one who falls in the below poverty line category and the transplant coast has been covered completely. Dr Manjunath, a member at the SAST said that Rs one lakh would be provided to the patient towards post-transplant medication.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, he said that the number of dengue cases in Bengaluru City was high and that a meeting had been called for where the need for better detection of cases was highlighted.