Date:07/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/08/07/stories/2004080701631900.htm

Back Pakistani child to undergo liver transplant at Global Hospital

Our Bureau

Hyderabad , Aug. 6

BATUL HASAN, a five-year old girl from Pakistan suffering from an end-stage liver disease, is all set to receive a slice of her father, Mr Irtiza Hasan's healthy liver in a liver transplant surgery.

In what is termed as a rare liver transplant surgery, a team of Indian and NRI doctors from Global Hospital, Hyderabad, and Kings College in the UK will do the transplant on Saturday.

In what is claimed to be the first instance wherein a Pakistani citizen has come to India for liver transplant, the gruelling twin operations is expected to take nearly 10 hours, doctors involved in the procedure said.

The girl is affected by a genetic disorder called Alagille's syndrome, which manifests in the form of holes in the heart, poor circulation of blood to lungs and abnormalities in spine and eyes, making the entire transplant procedure more challenging, they added.

Dr Mohamed Rela, liver transplant surgeon from King's College Hospital, London, who has performed 800 liver transplants including the world's first such transplant on a five-year old Irish child a few years ago, will head the team of half a dozen specialist doctors, plus anaesthetists and support staff.

The Pakistani couple of Mr Irtiza Hasan and Ms Shama Hasan, from Karachi, got to know of Global's expertise in transplant from their contacts in Pakistan and Mumbai and reached Hyderabad on July 12.

"All the preparatory work has been completed. We have confidence in the doctors and hospital and the people have given us the support," Mr Hasan said.

He added that his child had been treated at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, and her condition studied in Singapore, where liver transplant was confirmed as the only option.

"The costs were prohibitive in Singapore (about Rs 44 lakh), and hence we turned to India, and have been told that it costs around Rs 14 lakh. Global has said that they would charge only Rs 4 lakh, and that too for the medicine and materials."

Dr K. Ravindranath, Managing Director of Global Hospital, said that of the 14 transplants done in the past 18 months, 12 have been successful. In the case of Batul Hasan, the hospital has decided not to charge for the facilities and professional doctors' interventions.

"The hospital has taken a decision not to charge for transplant in children, if the organ donor happens to be either of the parents," he added.

Dr Rela said that after surgery, the father can be discharged in 10 days while the daughter will have to spend 3-4 weeks in the hospital. Liver transplants on 20 patients suffering from Alagille's syndrome have been performed in the UK with good success, he added.