Lone light for fading livers now looks bleak

When Stanley Medical College and Hospital managed to conduct a liver transplant, it was a landmark moment for the state. No state or central government run hospital had ever managed to conduct a liver transplant simply because of the expense, technicality and post-op care that it entailed. The dream and vision of their former Director of the Institute of Surgical Gastroenterology, Dr R Surendran, the hospital had notched up an impressive 33 transplants when they celebrated the third anniversary of their first successful surgery.After he retired, the only state-run liver transplant option for the economically backward people has hit a slump. “Liver transplants have been seeing a lull for the past few months, but we are confident that these issues can be sorted out very soon,” said Dr Amalorpavanathan.With well trained staff, surgeons, state-of-the-art equipment and a waiting ICMR funded research centre for stem cell potential in liver regenration, it is a hope at Stanley and a prayer from those with failing livers and an empty pocket, that the programme starts functioning again.