Govt to launch air ambulance facility

Kochi: In a bid to facilitate speedy transportation of organs harvested from brain-dead persons, Kerala government Tuesday said it will launch an air ambulance facility in two months.

"Air ambulance facility will be started in Kerala in two months time. Five companies have submitted expressions of interest. We will start the facility after thoroughly reviewing the proposals," Health Minister V S Sivakumar said in a function organised at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences here.

The government in Kerala, which boasts of the best health statistics in the country, had taken up the task of promoting organ donation and transplantation, the minister said.

Recently, the heart of a brain-dead man was ferried onboard a Naval aircraft from Thiruvananthapuram to a hospital here for transplantation in an autorickshaw driver, thanks to the intervention of Chandy.

Speaking about government's 'Mrithasanjivini' programme, Sivakumar said at least 254 kidneys, 103 livers, 17 hearts, two pancreas, two small intestines, four hands and one lung had been transplanted so far in needy persons in various hospitals under the initiative launched three years ago.

Noting that world class health care facilities were available in Kerala, the minister said organ transplantation treatment should be made more effective.

"State government gives utmost importance for organ transplantation," he said at the function organised to dedicate a Centre of Excellence in Organ Transplant at the institute.

Meanwhile, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan and Malayalam film actor Mohanlal honoured families of Binoy and Joseph -- whose hands were donated -- in the presence of the recipients Manu and Afghan national Abdul Rahim at the function.