In the nine months since March 23, Gleneagles Global Health City (GGHC) has performed 38 live donor liver transplants across the State. Of these, 26 transplants were done under the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme.
Hospital authorities said the each patient was evaluated for the urgent need of transplant on an MELD scale (Model for End Stage Liver Disease).
A person with an MELD score of over 15 is considered for transplant in normal times. During the pandemic, only those with MELD score of over 25 points were considered.
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Director of Hepatology and Transplant Hepatology Joy Varghese said of the 38 patients who fulfilled the criteria, 24 were adults and 14 children. “Donors and recipients were discharged hale and healthy in the shortest possible period,” he said. The State government had provided timely support to 26 patients for the transplant through the CMHIS.
Mettu Srinivas Reddy, director of Liver Transplant and HPB surgery, said the hospital’s liver transplant team accomplished the goals of not just timely and safe transplant but also ensured the patients’ smooth and rapid recovery.
According to Rajanikanth Patcha, clinical head, dedicated operation theatres, intensive care units, doctors and paramedic team handled transplantation. Facilities with advanced technology helped prevent infection.
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High standards kept
Alok Khullar, chief executive officer of GGHC, said the hospital’s liver transplant team took up on itself the challenge to implement standards of infection control.
“The multi-disciplinary approach of the hepatology and liver transplant team, in collaboration with the infectious diseases team, enabled us to provide excellent clinical outcomes to patients suffering from end stage liver disease,” he added.