Kottayam: A patient, who underwent a heart transplant surgery at a government medical college here last month, has died due to kidney failure, hospital authorities said Monday.
In a first heart transplant surgery at the government-run Medical College hospital in Kerala, V K Podimon from Pathanamthitta received the heart harvested from a brain dead patient on September 15.
"His heart was strong but he died last night due to kidney failure," hospital authorities said.
The heart transplantation surgery on Podimon was carried out despite him having a history of multiple organ problems, they said.
The heart was harvested from Vinay Kumar from Aluva in Ernakulam district and brought here by road and transplanted successfully.
The heart transplantation surgery, costing less than Rs two lakh, was widely lauded as a new milestone for the state's general health sector.
This was carried out at a time when private hospitals in the state charge between Rs 10 lakh to 20 lakh for a heart transplantation surgery.
