Modi tweets cadaver call to save Deshmukh

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Follow us:WhatsappFacebookTwitterTelegram.cls-1{fill:#4d4d4d;}.cls-2{fill:#fff;}Google NewsPolitical goodwill may stretch across parties, but for ailing Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has taken it to another level. It is a well-known fact that Deshmukh’s liver is deteriorating and he is in need of a cadaver liver to survive. And now, the BJP heavyweight seems keen on helping the Congressman find an organ quickly, to undergo the transplant.On Sunday afternoon, Modi who is extremely active on microblogging site Twitter, tweeted from his official handle (@narendramodi), “Instructed Gujarat’s Health department to procure cadaver liver on top priority for Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is undergoing treatment.” Needless to say, the announcement was followed by a surge of Twitterati praising and criticising the move. Some like @Rightwingdian merely tweeted back “God bless you Sir!”, a few like @_kautilya2 questioned Modi’s move, “Why sir? Does a minister have more rights than the person who is on top of the list?” Modi chose not to respond, as over 150 people retweeted his ‘cadaver call’ across Twitter.When asked if such a thing as flying a liver from Gujarat to Chennai could actually be pulled off, transplant surgeons termed it “tricky but doable”. According to a senior transplant surgeon, “Normally, livers have a shelf time of six hours before they need to be transplanted. But if the right chemicals are used and it is transported via air ambulance by an organ harvesting team, it can be kept for up to 12 hours or more.” Considering it’s only a two-hour flight between Ahmedabad and Chennai, it can be done with a little rushing and planning, added another transplant expert.Also, over the weekend, the State government has made a request to the Tamil Nadu Organ Sharing Network to place Deshmukh at the top of the liver transplant list. “We have received a request and accordingly, he has been placed first with top priority. As and when he requires an organ, it will be given, provided a match is available,” said a source with the apex organ-transplant monitoring committee.Meanwhile, at Global Health City, where Deshmukh has been hospitalised in the liver transplant wing for a week, it was a busy day.Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil visited Deshmukh’s family. With Deshmukh’s condition “steadily improving” according to his visitors, who are briefed by his doctors, the need for a liver transplant seems imminent. “He is still not out of the critical zone, though he has shown improvement. It will be a while before we can declare him completely stable,” said a hospital source.first published:August 13, 2012, 12:21 ISTlast updated:August 13, 2012, 12:21 IST
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Political goodwill may stretch across parties, but for ailing Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has taken it to another level. It is a well-known fact that Deshmukh’s liver is deteriorating and he is in need of a cadaver liver to survive. And now, the BJP heavyweight seems keen on helping the Congressman find an organ quickly, to undergo the transplant.

On Sunday afternoon, Modi who is extremely active on microblogging site Twitter, tweeted from his official handle (@narendramodi), “Instructed Gujarat’s Health department to procure cadaver liver on top priority for Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is undergoing treatment.” Needless to say, the announcement was followed by a surge of Twitterati praising and criticising the move. Some like @Rightwingdian merely tweeted back “God bless you Sir!”, a few like @_kautilya2 questioned Modi’s move, “Why sir? Does a minister have more rights than the person who is on top of the list?” Modi chose not to respond, as over 150 people retweeted his ‘cadaver call’ across Twitter.

When asked if such a thing as flying a liver from Gujarat to Chennai could actually be pulled off, transplant surgeons termed it “tricky but doable”. According to a senior transplant surgeon, “Normally, livers have a shelf time of six hours before they need to be transplanted. But if the right chemicals are used and it is transported via air ambulance by an organ harvesting team, it can be kept for up to 12 hours or more.” Considering it’s only a two-hour flight between Ahmedabad and Chennai, it can be done with a little rushing and planning, added another transplant expert.

Also, over the weekend, the State government has made a request to the Tamil Nadu Organ Sharing Network to place Deshmukh at the top of the liver transplant list. “We have received a request and accordingly, he has been placed first with top priority. As and when he requires an organ, it will be given, provided a match is available,” said a source with the apex organ-transplant monitoring committee.

Meanwhile, at Global Health City, where Deshmukh has been hospitalised in the liver transplant wing for a week, it was a busy day.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil visited Deshmukh’s family. With Deshmukh’s condition “steadily improving” according to his visitors, who are briefed by his doctors, the need for a liver transplant seems imminent. “He is still not out of the critical zone, though he has shown improvement. It will be a while before we can declare him completely stable,” said a hospital source.