JAITLEY STABLE AFTER KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

NEWDELHI: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley underwent a fourhour kidney transplantation surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Monday.

“The surgery was successful. Both recipient and donor are stable and recovering well,” read a statement released by AIIMS.

Jaitley, 65, was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening, where he underwent a battery of tests routinely done prior to transplantation surgeries. Dr VK Bansal, professor of surgery at AIIMS, was the “convener” of the surgical team that included professor of nephrology at AIIMS Dr Sandeep Mahajan and transplantation surgeon Dr Sandeep Guleria and his team from Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals.

Jaitley had confirmed his illness on Twitter on April 6, saying, “I am being treated for kidney-related problems & certain infections that I have contracted. I am therefore working from controlled environment at home. The future course of my treatment would be determined by doctors treating me.”

He was admitted to AIIMS a month ago to undergo kidney function tests and dialysis, which continued for a month.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi and the party’s Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor were among those who wished Jaitley a speedy recovery.

“I’m happy to hear that Jaitley ji’s kidney transplant surgery today at AIIMS went well. I wish him a speedy recovery,” Gandhi tweeted.

Lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan complimented the minister for getting treated at AIIMS and showing confidence in the public health system of the country.