Govt sanctions financial help for lung transplant of frontline woman doc

The state government has sanctioned financial help for the 30-year-old woman doctor who is in need of a lung transplant

The state government has sanctioned financial help for the 30-year-old woman doctor who is in need of a lung transplant. The doctor had fallen severely ill due to Covid in April this year.

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“The state government has assured the financial help. We have estimated an expense of about ₹70 lakh,” said Dr Srikesh Singh, spokesperson for Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Science where the doctor was working. She is also admitted there at present.

Keeping in view the fact that the cost of treatment may go up, the sanctioned amount is estimated to be around ₹1.50 crore.

The woman doctor, a PG student in gynaecology department, was working in the Covid ward despite being pregnant when she had tested positive for Sars-CoV-2 infection in April. She later tested negative but her lungs collapsed and hence she required 100% oxygen support. She delivered a baby girl on May 6-7 and the baby is fine.

“She is presently on ECMO (extra corporeal membrane oxygenation). We have assessed her condition jointly with external experts. It is the first case of its kind in the state,” said Dr Srikesh Singh. The woman doctor is under the observation of a dedicated medical team. Her husband too is a resident doctor at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences.

“There are three centres in India conducting lung transplant and we are focusing first on the centre in Bengaluru,” Dr Singh added.