The centre has sustained an excellent outcome with one year survival rate in over 90 per cent of all transplants conducted
Fortis Centre for Heart Failure & Transplant at Fortis Malar Hospital successfully conducted 150 heart transplants in Chennai recently. This is the first time any hospital has performed this record number of heart transplants in the entire South Asia. The centre has sustained an excellent outcome with one year survival rate in over 90 per cent of all transplants conducted. The feat was led by Dr KR Balakrishnan, Director, Cardiac Sciences, Fortis Centre for Heart Failure & Transplant and Dr Suresh Rao KG, Chief of Cardiac Anesthesia & Critical Care at Fortis Malar Hospital.
Speaking at the endeavour, Dr Balakrishnan said, “India has found an answer to the organ scarcity question in Tamil Nadu. We have been able to achieve this beautiful feat because of the love and support that the organ donation cause has received from all sections of the society in the state. The team takes humble pride in the fact that it acted as a medium to translate the will of organ donation into action & save as many lives.”
Emphasizing on the gravity of the situation, Dr Rao KG said, “It is time that we acknowledge that the situation is grim. The demand for organs is only going to rise. In a country of billion people, we are not short of clinical expertise, infrastructure or benevolence but awareness about organ donation. Majority of people are still unaware about possibility of cadaver donation to save lives. Someone is praying for your kind gesture that may give a fresh lease of life. We sincerely hope that our humble feat will remove any kind of apprehension that one may have around organ donation. It is time we step up to the challenge and start talking about organ donation to save lives.”
Raj Gore, COO – South & West, Fortis Healthcare said, “We, as a healthcare provider, are committed to the cause of organ donation. Apart from creating awareness about the nobility in donating organs to save lives, it is something that we would like to be remembered for. In this moment of recognition, we would like to thank everyone who has made this possible. The kind-hearted donor families, the police and administration, the government, the entire team at Fortis Malar Hospital and the excellent team of doctors deserve to be applauded. The entire Fortis takes pride in what our team has achieved today. We hope that this sends out a message that thousands of lives can be saved if we come together for the cause of organ donation.”
While thanking the various stakeholders involved in different phases of organ donation, Dr Balakrishnan cautioned that more needs to be done in this regard. He added, “The success of the cause should not deter us from the fact that there is still more to be done, more lives to be saved and still more to give. We sincerely hope that the example of the state is upheld nationally. I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been instrumental in some way or the other to facilitate an organ donation.”
Dr Sanjay Pandey, Facility Director, Fortis Malar Hospital said, “At Fortis Center for Heart Failure & Transplant, we have the largest heart transplant programme in the country. Our team of doctors and support staff have been saving lives by transplanting hearts including many critical and unique cases. It is a privilege to be working along with such a capable team that is making enormous contribution towards saving and improving lives and contributing richly for promotion of such a noble cause.”