Kidney transplant patient dies due to delay in surgery, Kerala govt orders probe

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

Ernakulam, June 20, 2022: A patient in need of a kidney transplant died at the medical college hospital here on Monday, allegedly due to a four-hour delay in the procedure, prompting the state government to order a probe into the incident. The kidney, which was harvested from a 34-year-old brain dead donor in Ernakulam, was brought to the state capital on Sunday evening, hospital sources said.

 

However, the transplant surgery was allegedly delayed for around four hours. ”The patient died on Monday morning,” hospital authorities told PTI.

State Health Minister Veena George directed the Additional Chief Secretary (Health) to conduct an investigation and submit a report. ”Stern action will be taken against those who are responsible for the lapses,” the Minister said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the State Human Rights Commission registered a case in this connection and directed the Director of Medical Education to inquire into the incident and file a detailed report within four weeks. The panel initiated the probe following a complaint lodged by two rights activists.

The kidney was transported from Ernakulam to Thiruvananthapuram in an ambulance on Sunday within 2.5 hours, through a ”Green Corridor System” created for this purpose, the complaint said.

A green corridor is a special traffic route set up with the help of police, to facilitate smooth and fast transportation of vital organs to save human lives. The complaint against the Nephrology and Urology departments of the medical college, alleges that the surgery was held after a delay of three hours.