Indian heart transplant surgeon now in Dubai
dubai — A well-known Indian heart transplant surgeon has started practising in the UAE for easy consultation with his expatriate patients who have undergone heart surgeries in India or are planning to do in the near future.
Padmashree Dr Jose Chacko Periappuram is credited with the first beating heart surgery in Kerala, the first successful TAR (Total Arterial Revascularisation) and the first awake bypass surgery in Kerala. An ardent supporter of organ donation, he had recently conducted a transplant operation in which the heart of a patient from Kochi was transported using an Indian Navy air ambulance, for transplanting in another patient at Thiruvananthapuram, 220km away. Though many expatriate patients have medical insurance cards, not all cards are accepted in India for heart treatment.
Manoj Sreekala, managing director of Amala Medical Center — where Dr Jose will be available for consultation — said: “If Dr Jose is in Dubai, patients can use their health insurance card without additional approval. It means a lot of cost-saving for the patient who otherwise have to spend for air tickets, accommodation and the long queue. We have been consulting him for two years to get his valuable service for the expatriate patients and we got his licence six months ago.
“About 50 patients have already registered to consult Dr Jose for the next three days at Amala Medical
Genetically, Asians’ body structure and slow moving nature make them vulnerable to heart ailments even at an early age.”
Dr Jose Chacko, heart surgeon
Center, Al Khail Mall, Dubai. Most of them are earlier patients who underwent treatment back home and want post operative consultation in the UAE. Some need second opinion before going for a major heart surgery. Now the doctor will be coming to Dubai for consultation and it will be good for some patients who cannot use their insurance card in India.”
Dr Jose said: “The cost of a heart surgery is relatively low compared to some expensive plastic surgery or dental treatment. Genetically, Asians’ body structure and slow moving nature make them vulnerable to heart ailments even at an early age.”
The cost of a heart surgery is less than Rs2,00,000 (Dh11,000) at Indian hospitals — only a marginal increase from Rs1,20,000, which prevailed a decade ago.
sathish@khaleejtimes.com