Trehan Says Intestine Transplant Offer was Irresponsible

A leading cardiologist has criticized a city hospital for offering free intestinal transplant to the Delhi gang-rape victim, saying that the statement was "irresponsible" as the woman had to be stabilized first.

"There were a lot of statements at that time related to her intestinal transplant... they were irresponsible statements," Naresh Trehan, chairman of Medanta Hospital, told reporters here.

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"At that time the issue was not intestinal transplant... she had to be stabilized first," he added.

A section of gangrenous intestine of the 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist was removed at the Safdarjung Hospital where she was admitted Dec 16 following a brutal gang-rape and torture in a moving bus.

The privately-run Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in central Delhi had offered the intestine transplant Dec 21 and was willing to bear the cost of all subsequent treatment as well.

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The hospital then said that intestinal transplant was the only course of treatment that would have offered the victim a chance of functional intestines and survival.

Trehan, though, said that the journey from the removal of intestines to their transplant is a long one.

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"It takes years to stabilize a patient whose intestines have been removed. We have to constantly check for infections and only then can we think about a transplant," said Trehan.

"She was not needing a transplant at that time and that's why we were not making any claims," he added.

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The young woman was shifted to Singapore's' Mount Elizabeth Hospital Dec 26 and died Dec 29 after a 13-day fight for life.

Source-IANS