Maharastra revokes Sahyadri hospital liver transplant suspension after probe finds no negligence

Pune: After finding no evidence of medical negligence in the deaths of a liver donor and recipient earlier this year at Sahyadri Super Speciality Hospitals, Deccan Gymkhana, the Maharashtra public health department has revoked the suspension of live liver transplant surgeries

The decision came after a 16-member state advisory committee, chaired by the public health department secretary, reviewed the case at Mantralaya, Mumbai, on November 6. The committee examined the findings of an eight-member expert panel led by renowned liver transplant surgeon Professor Dr. Mohammed Rela, president of the International Liver Transplant Society.

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The case involves a 48-year-old man who underwent a liver transplant on August 15 with his wife as the live donor. The man’s health deteriorated immediately after surgery, and he died the same day, while his wife later developed complications and passed away on August 22.

In response to the incident, the state had launched a suo motu investigation, suspended the hospital’s live liver transplant licence on August 26, and formed a committee to probe allegations of medical negligence.

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that taking suo motu cognisance of the deaths of a donor and recipient- a married couple, following a liver transplant surgery at Sahyadri Hospital in Pune, the Maharashtra Health Department has temporarily suspended the hospital’s liver transplant license and constituted an eight-member high-level committee to probe the alleged medical negligence.

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Speaking to Hindustan Times, Dr Pawar said the director of health services, Mumbai, issued a letter on November 27 instructing the appropriate authority to cancel the suspension. “The suspension of the live liver transplant licence of Sahyadri hospitals has been revoked with immediate effect as per the provisions of the Human Organ Transplantation Act, 1994,” he said.

However, the police investigation in this case is ongoing. As per TOI, Senior inspector Girisha Nimbalkar said, "We have already written a letter to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai (in this regard). The reply of the hospital is awaited. The committee at the hospital has experts to investigate the case further."

Meanwhile, the family of the deceased donor is awaiting the postmortem report.