Thiruvananthapuram: A Christian priest, who was denied permission by a government hospital to donate his kidney to a critically-ill teenaged girl on technical grounds, has launched an indefinite fast here seeking permission for the transplant.
Hearing the plight of 16-year-old Jayasree through media reports, Fr Santhosh George of the Malankara Orthodox Church had a few days ago volunteered to donate one of his kidneys to the girl whose both kidneys had failed.
Jayashree, who is from a poor family here, was advised an emergency surgery by doctors and her relatives approached a local television channel. On seeing the story on the channel, Fr George came forward to donate his kidney to the girl.
However, the authorities of Medical College here, where the girl has been undergoing treatment for the past six months, denied permission to donate the vital organ citing a Central Government rule which forbids kidney transplant in government hospitals if the donor is not a blood relative of the patient.
Fr George, a priest who is now serving in an Orthodox church in Puducherry, said it was “cruel” to prevent him from donating the organ as the health condition of the girl is deteriorating fast.
“As per the rule, only those having blood relation with the patient can donate kidneys,” he said. But, he added, even if the kidney donation is done in a private hospital, a certificate of permission must be obtained from the panel of doctors appointed by the state government to monitor kidney donations attached to medical colleges in the region where the surgery would be done. (PTI)