Heart transplant patient's family seeks financial aid

Kochi: The family of Sandhya Pramod (26), who had undergone heart transplant surgery at a private hospital here, has submitted a petition to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting financial help.
Sandhya, who hails from Thrissur, had received 15-year-old Vishal's heart after the latter was declared brain-dead.
Pramod submitted the petition requesting financial aid for settling the bills and other surgery-related expenses when the CM visited the family at the hospital on Saturday evening.
The CM gave them a patient hearing, however he didn't commit. The family needs Rs 15 lakh towards heart transplant and another Rs 6 lakh towards transporting the heart in Navy's flight from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi.
Pinarayi personally congratulated Dr Jose Chacko Periyapuram on his successful transplantation. Sandhya at the time of transplant had a very bad heart and only 15% of her heart was pumping. Though clinical examination indicates that she was suffering from preipatum cardiomyopathy, Dr Periyapuram suspects it to be familial dilated cardiomyopathy that got aggravated during pregnancy. Sandhya has a family history of heart problem and her brother also died due to dilated cardiomyopathy.
Sandhya who is recuperating in the observation ward of the hospital had started talking and is taking liquid food now, hospital officials said. She will be shifted to the room by Monday.