Pune's Sahyadri Hospital Temporarily Halts Liver Transplant Programme After Couple's Death

Pune's Sahyadri Hospital on Tuesday said it has temporarily halted its liver transplant programme. In a statement to the media, the hospital said its other transplant services will continue as usual. This comes amid outrage over the death of a couple at the hospital following a liver transplant surgery.

"We have received the notice from the health authority and are fully cooperating with the investigation into this matter. As a gesture of our complete support for a thorough and uninterrupted review, we have agreed to temporarily put our Living Liver Transplant programme on hold," the hospital said.

"All our other hospital operations, including other transplant services and surgical procedures, will continue as normal. Our dedicated team remains committed to providing compassionate and high-quality care to all our patients," it added.

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Notices issued

On Monday, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued a notice to the hospital. Earlier, the Maharashtra Health Department also sought a response from the hospital management.

The hospital, in a statement, informed that it has submitted a detailed response to the notice issued by the Deputy Director of Health Services, Dr Nagnath Yempalle.

"Some additional information is also sought, to which we will share our response. We shall extend our fullest cooperation to the authorities and remain committed to transparency and upholding the highest standards of patient care," the hospital said in its statement on Monday.

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Yempalle had said the hospital was asked to submit details of the recipient and the donor, their video recordings, and the line of treatment.

What's the case?

The patient, identified as Bapu Komkar, and his wife Kamini, who donated a part of her liver, underwent surgeries at the hospital on August 15.

Bapu Komkar's health deteriorated after the transplant surgery, and he passed away on August 17. Kamini developed an infection on August 21 and died during treatment.

Their family members have alleged medical negligence and demanded an inquiry into the deaths.

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The hospital had stated the surgeries were conducted as per standard medical protocols.

It stated the patient (Bapu Komkar) was a high-risk individual with many complications, noting that a living donor liver transplant is one of the most complex procedures.

"The surgeries were carried out following standard medical protocols. Unfortunately, the recipient developed cardiogenic shock after the transplant and could not be revived despite all efforts," it had said.