Hindu man’s liver gives life to Muslim woman

Transplant presents a classic case of religious harmony, says doctor at SSKM Hospital

January 24, 2020 01:17 am | Updated 07:27 am IST - Kolkata

Photo for representational purposes only.

Photo for representational purposes only.

Setting an example of religious harmony and humanity, a Hindu family in Kolkata donated the liver of a member who passed away on Tuesday to a Muslim woman suffering from end-stage liver cirrhosis.

Doctors at the School of Digestive and Liver Diseases ( SDLD) of SSKM Hospital in Kolkata successfully conducted a liver transplant on Sahana Khatun (29).

Though it was seventh liver transplant performed by SDLD doctors since January 2019, what made the procedure unique was that the donor, Kalyan Kumar Roychowdhury (67), was a Hindu and the recipient, Ms. Khatun, a Muslim.

Speaking to The Hindu about the transplant, Dr. Abhijit Chowdhury, who heads the SDLD, said that it was only a coincidence that the donor and the recipient were from different religions.

“What matters for a transplant is that the blood group and other parameters should match. The patient on whom the transplant is to be carried out is selected on the basis of a priority list. Till a few hours ago, we were not aware that the donor and the recipient were from different religions,” Dr. Chowdhury said.

The doctor added that it was only after interest was shown by media that they realised that the transplant presented a “classic case of religious harmony”.

“In the present times, this is possibly one of the examples of communal harmony and it proves that all human beings are the same,” Dr. Chowdhury said.

‘Won’t hesitate’

S.K. Shabbir Ali, the brother of Ms. Khatun, said they had been waiting for a donor for quite some time. “In my life if I get an opportunity I will not hesitate to donate my organs to a person from a different religion,” said Mr. Ali said.

The family members of Roychowdhury, a resident of Bally in Howrah district who met with an accident on Monday and was declared brain dead on Tuesday, said they are very happy that his organs has saved lives.

“My mother said that if my father had faced such a situation, he would have taken the same decision of donating the organs,” said Adrita Roychowdhury, the daughter of deceased.

His kidneys have been transplanted to another patient at a private hospital in the city.

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