The 50th year of the first heart transplant in the world by Dr. Christian Barnard was celebrated here on Sunday by the Society for Heart Failure and Transplantation (SHFT), IMA - Kochi, and Rajagiri Transcentre.
Speaking after inaugurating the event, Minister for Health K.K. Shylaja said the State was promoting organ donation in a comprehensive manner, and that it would facilitate all medical colleges to take up transplant procedures.
The Minister honoured 16 heart transplant recipients and doctors who were part of surgeries on the occasion. Indore-native Preeti Unnale, the first heart transplant recipient in India, was the chief guest at the function. The procedure was conducted on here 17 years ago. A cake was also cut to celebrate Ms. Unnale’s birthday.
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Hibi Eden, MLA, SHFT president Dr. Jose Chacko Periapuram and secretary Dr. A. Jabir, and IMA president Dr. Varghese Cherian were among those who spoke on the occasion.
It was in 1967 in South Africa where Dr. Barnard transplanted the heart of brain-dead 24-year-old Denise Darvall into 54-year-old Lewis Washkansky. In India, Dr. P. Venugopal at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences led the first heart transplant in 1994. And in Kerala, Dr. Periapuram did the first transplant in 2003.
A panel discussion was held on the occasion on heart transplant surgeries. Mr. Kochouseph Chittilappilly, journalist M.G. Radhakrishnan, and co-ordinator of Kerala Network of Organ Sharing Dr. Noble Gracious participated.
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