“Humanity still exists, as demonstrated by the case of Ayesha Rashan, where a 63-year-old Indian donor saved the life of a 19-year-old girl.”
Ayesha Rashan has been suffering from heart problems and despite trying all medications, only a heart transplant can save her life. Thus on 31st January 2024, Ayesha Rashan went through a heart transplant surgery at MGM Healthcare, Chennai. Following the procedures, she was discharged in April 2024 and returned to Karachi, Pakistan.
According to Dr. K.R. Balakrishnan, chairman, cardiac sciences director, Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support, Ayesha Rashan first visited them in 2019 when she was 14 years old. Ayesha Rashan has a severe heart problem and even suffers from cardiac arrest. The doctor performed CPR and put her on ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation). Later on, doctors used an artificial heart pump to stabilize her condition. With time she recovered and came back to Pakistan.
But as time passed, her condition started to deteriorate. Ayesha Rashan’s heart valve started leaking and she also developed an infection there. The only solution left is a heart transplant.
Along with the donor problem, the main issue that halts the process is the cost of heart transplant. It required 35 to 40 lakh (Indian rupee ) to execute the transplant. But with the effort of Aishwarya Trust, a Chennai-based NGO, and other people’s contributions. Ayesha Rashan gets the heart transplant free of cost.
Though it was difficult to get her visa, doctors managed it somehow. They are quick enough to save her life through the heart of a 63-year-old brain-dead person from Delhi.
Conclusion
Now the question arises for how many times Pakistanis will travel to India to save their lives. When will we be able to perform it in our country?
According to Dr. Faisal Saud Dar, dean, and CEO of the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and Research Center in Lahore:
“The two main reasons we don’t perform heart transplants are the lack of deceased donors [transplant hearts can only be taken from deceased individuals] and a lack of expertise,”.
Dr. Dar emphasized the importance of awareness of organ donation. Many people are still clueless regarding organ donation. The government should also categorize the brain-dead people separately and educate their families regarding donation.
We should work together to remove the hurdles and pave the for easier transplant surgeries in Pakistan. In this way not only we can help our people but others also.
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