Apollo Hospitals achieves milestone in heart and lung transplantation programme

Several months ago, Raja Sivagurunathan said it took him half an hour to walk 10 steps, and he would be breathless the entire time. After being admitted in the hospital for seven months and undergoing a bilateral lung transplant, today, the 59-year-old is back on his feet.

Mr. Sivagurunathan was one of a group of transplant recipients who had undergone heart and lung transplants at Apollo Hospitals Chennai, some of whom spoke at a press meet held on Thursday.

Under the programme, more than 600 heart and lung transplants have been performed, over 2,000 transplant patients managed, and over 1,000 ECMO cases handled. Kumud Kumar Dhital, head, heart and lung transplantation at the hospital, said the programme was now set to be expanded nationally. He said this marked a re-evolution of the two-decade programme, by making it in a hub and spoke model for hospitals across the group’s network.

He also pointed to the core commitments of the programme, which included management of patients within the hospital and post-discharge.

Srinivasa Rajagopala, senior consultant and clinical lead, pulmonology, sleep medicine and lung transplants at the hospital, spoke of the huge unmet demand in India: while about 8,000 heart and 10,000 lung transplants are needed each year, only about 250 are performed in the country.

He pointed to the need for the acceleration of transplant programmes, of awareness among patients and physicians for early referrals to ensure better outcomes, and for more information among the public.

Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, CEO, Chennai region, Apollo Hospitals, moderated a panel discussion between Dr. Dhital and Dr. Rajagopala.