Tamilian heart beats in a Kashmiri woman
Donor heart transported over 350 kilometres for a successful transplant on a young woman from
Srinagar suffering from terminal heart failure at MGM Healthcare, Chennai
Aishwarya Trust came forward to fund the heart transplant
23 February 2022, Chennai: A heart from an 18 year old brain dead donor was transported over 350
kilometres to Chennai and provided a fresh lease of life to a 33-year-old Kashmiri woman suffering
from terminal heart failure, who travelled 3000 kilometres for her treatment.
Ms Shahzadi Fathima,from Srinagar, had worsening heart failure symptoms due to Restrictive
cardiomyopathy (RCM), a condition where the chambers of the heart become stiff over time.
She became terminally Ill and her only hope of survival was an early life saving heart transplantation.
With her condition worsening, on December 31, 2021, she was admitted with sign of severe heart
failure. Doctors at MGM Healthcare soon treated her with isotropes and other medications. On
January 26, 2022, a suitable brain-dead donor was identified in a private hospital in Trichy. The heart
was soon rushed to Chennai through a green corridor and a high-risk heart transplantation was
carried out on Ms Shahzadi. She made an uneventful recovery after the procedure and is ready to
begin a new life in Kashmir.
Ms Fatima an unmarried woman from Kashmir lives with her brother, a daily wage earner who was
not able to meet her medical expenses and the cost of the transplant. Seeing the plight of this
woman, Aishwarya Trust, a non- profit.
HEALTHCARE organisation that supports the medical expenses of deserving patients decided to
support the entire cost of the transplant at MGM Healthcare. Mrs Chitra Viswanathan, the founder
of Aishwarya Trust said it was a meaningful way for Aishwarya Trust to celebrate Republic Day by
funding the lady’s heart transplant on 26th January 2022.” For it’s part, MGM Healthcare carried out
the transplant at a subsidised cost.
Dr K R Balakrishnan, Director – Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory
Support of MGM Healthcare who led the surgery lauded the efforts of the victim’s family in
generously agreeing for organ donation in the face of great personal tragedy and Transtan which
oversees the organ donation activity in the state.
Such life saving transplants need coordination and support from several people and is a true team
effort said Dr Suresh Rao, Co-Director. Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical
Circulatory Support.” Dr. Ravikumar R, Sr. Consultant & Clinical Lead -Cardiology & Heart Failure
Program, MGM Healthcare said “ Heart failure is an under recognised problem in India. The quality
of life and longevity of end stage heart failure patients who are not responding to conventional
therapy can be improved by advanced procedures like heart transplant and Left Ventricular Assist
Device (LVAD).
About MGM Healthcare:
Born out of a need for altruism, MGM Healthcare is dedicated to bettering patient experiences and
improving clinical outcomes through expertise, passion and technology. The manifestation of this
dedication is a state-of-the-art hospital on Nelson Manickam Road having 400 beds, 50
HEALTHCARE outpatient consultation rooms, over 100 critical care beds, 250 + doctors, 30+ clinical
departments, 12 state-of-the-art operating theatres and 24×7 comprehensive Emergency Care. Here,
a host of eminent surgeons and physicians wield a potent combination of skill and cutting-edge
technology to elevate care and outcomes to new levels. MGM Healthcare is currently Asia’s highest-
rated USGBC LEED Platinum-certified Green Hospital.
Over the past year, the team of clinical experts at MGM Healthcare have performed many innovative
and complex surgeries in the pursuit of establishing trust and clinical excellence. MGM Healthcare is
designed and equipped with the latest in technology and equipment and is poised to drive patient
centricity and clinical excellence of both the domestic and international patients.
