29-yr-old heart transplant patient shows signs of improvement

Kolkata: The 29-year-old woman from Howrah, who undergone a heart transplant at a private hospital off EM Bypass on Monday evening, has shown a sign of improvement.

She has been taken out of ventilation support. According to hospital sources, the patient has spoken to her family members at the hospital on Tuesday.

The hospital sources said the patient has been kept under close monitoring.

Rakhi Mondal (29), a resident of Howrah, was admitted to the hospital on late Sunday night. She had heart related ailments.

Sourav Pratik (19), a resident of Nalanda in Bihar was declared brain dead at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital at Patna. The family members of the victim agreed to donate his heart.

The heart was brought to Calcutta airport at around 5.15 pm on Monday. A Green Corridor was set up jointly by Kolkata and Bidhannagar Police and they ensured that the heart reached the hospital within 24 minutes covering around a distance of 23 km.

According to hospital sources, the patient may be released from the hospital with the next few days if her health condition continues to improve. The patient also told her family members that she wanted to go home as early as possible. It may be mentioned that another heart transplant was conducted by another private hospital in the city on late Sunday night on Samirtan Dutta (52), a resident of Salt Lake.

The heart had been retrieved from a 24-year-old youth who was declared brain dead at a private hospital in Andhra Pradesh after meeting with a road accident.

The heart was brought to the airport and later transported to a private hospital on EM Bypass through a Green Corridor as well.

Two separate incidents of heart transplants occurred due to the state government's continuous efforts to promote organ transplants in the state.

This has once again brought fruitful result. The incidents of organ donation have increased in the state due to proactive efforts by the state Health department.