KGMU to offer free heart transplant to first five patients

Lucknow: King George’s Medical University (KGMU), which is all set to launch the heart transplant service, on Friday announced to provide free surgery to the first five patients.The decision was taken at the executive council chaired by vice-chancellor Prof Soniya Nityanand on Friday.Officials said that the cardiothoracic and vascular surgery department has the required licence, equipment, trained doctors and paramedical staff to transplant hearts from brain-dead donors to eligible patients. KGMU is waiting for its first case.KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh said a heart transplant costs around Rs 1 crore in private hospitals as compared to Rs 12-15 lakh in a govt setup. “The fee at KGMU is yet to be finalised, but the first five transplants will be completely free,” he said.The executive council also approved upgrading KGMU’s animal house to international standards to boost research. Located in the pharmacology department, the facility supports drug research and houses laboratory animals, including rats.