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Jharkhand minister undergoes lung transplant in Chennai after Covid-19 damage
Doctors said the operation was successful and the minister’s condition is stable and he is recovering well. He will be under doctors’ observation for two-three weeks
Jharkhand minister Jagarnath Mahto, 53, has undergone a successful lung transplant after Covid-19 infection damaged his lungs, doctors at Chennai’s Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Healthcare said on Wednesday.
Dr Apar Jindal, clinical director, lung transplant, interventional pulmonology, and chest medicine, MGM Healthcare, said, “The operation, which took around 11 hours, was carried out on Tuesday and it went very well. His condition is stable and he is recovering well.”
Mahto was on life support for 21 days after his lungs were damaged due to the infection. The hospital as well as the Jharkhand government had been looking for suitable lung donor for the transplant.
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Jindal said the lung was found at MGM Healthcare on Tuesday and transplant surgery was done successfully.
“The minister will be kept under observation in the hospital for at least two to three weeks. The revival rate in such cases is 90%, which is very good. He will lead a normal life very soon.”
Mahto tested positive for Covid-19 on September 28 and was admitted to Ranchi’s state-run Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences. He was shifted to the intensive care unit of a private super-specialty hospital in Ranchi on October 1. As his condition deteriorated, Mahto was airlifted to MGM Healthcare on October 19.
Mahto’s son, Akhilesh, said everything is going well right now. “He is recovering well, as per the doctor. I hope to return to Jharkhand soon with my father.”
He said the state government recently released ₹50 lakh as first instalment of Mahto’s treatment.
