Government hospital performs heart tansplant

In a "first of its kind initiative" in the country among state government-run hospitals, the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Chennai has performed a heart transplant on a 25 year-old woman.

In a "first of its kind initiative" in the country among state government-run hospitals, the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Chennai has performed a heart transplant on a 25 year-old woman, with the donated heart of a "brain-dead" teenager, an accident victim.

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According to Dean of the GGH Dr Mohanasundaram, it was for the first time that a heart transplant had been conducted among government hospitals in the state, after a team of doctors headed by Dr S Vishwakumar performed a near five hour surgery on the woman on Thursday.

The effort by the government doctors earned the appreciation of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Friday who claimed that it was "the first of its kind of initiative" in India.

"It is noteworthy that this heart transplant is the first of its kind initiative successfully performed in any state government run hospital in the country," he said in his address at the ongoing District Collectors' conference in Chennai on Friday.

Congratulating the team of doctors headed by Dr Vishwakumar, Karunanidhi also said that Tamil Nadu was leading the country in delivering medical services to people.