KEM Hospital, operated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), achieved a remarkable milestone by performing its first heart transplant in 56 years. This makes KEM Hospital the first municipal facility in the country to conduct such a procedure. The heart transplant was facilitated by the donation of a heart from a 34-year-old donor, whose tragic circumstances led to the decision to donate.
The donated heart, along with corneas, was successfully transplanted into a critically ill patient at KEM Hospital. The patient is reported to be stable following the surgery. Dr. Praveen Kulkarni led the team through the complex operation, which, while costing around ₹35 lakh at private hospitals, was performed at KEM for ₹8 lakh.
The significant achievement follows KEM’s first attempt at heart transplantation in 1963-64, which was unsuccessful and led to a long hiatus in such procedures. Efforts to revive the hospital’s heart transplant program gained traction in October 2023 with a provisional license, and full accreditation was obtained in December.
As reported by hindustantimes.com, KEM’s achievement highlights the ongoing effort to expand access to life-saving treatments in public hospitals, an area still relatively rare compared to private facilities.