A Hindu woman and a Muslim woman donated their kidneys to each other s husbands in Ahmedabad because donation by their relatives was not medically possible, Sterling Hospital in the city said. A 45-year-old Hindu man from Ahmedabad and a 42-year-old Muslim man A Hindu woman and a Muslim woman donated their kidneys to each other s husbands in Ahmedabad because donation by their relatives was not medically possible, Sterling Hospital in the city said. A...
A Hindu woman and a Muslim woman donated their kidneys to each other’s husbands in Ahmedabad because donation by their relatives was not medically possible, Sterling Hospital in the city said.
A 45-year-old Hindu man from Ahmedabad and a 42-year-old Muslim man from Udaipur received the women’s kidneys in simultaneous transplants on July 9, according to a hospital statement.
“The landmark procedure involved two patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease, whose respective donors (relatives) could not donate directly due to medical incompatibility. This led both families to explore the possibility of an organ swap,” the statement read.
These were the first kidney swap transplants performed at the hospital. The doctors carefully reviewed the scans and determined that the donor from the first patient’s family met the criteria to donate to the second patient, and vice versa. The donor-recipient pairs were appropriately matched. Both families were counselled, and they agreed to proceed with the swap transplant, according to the hospital statement.
The hospital described the transplants as “a powerful example of compassion, trust, communal harmony, and the shared human desire to save a life”.
Dr Sudhir Morad, Clinical Superintendent, Sterling Hospital, said, “This milestone represents much more than the success of a complex transplant procedure. A kidney swap gives patients a second opportunity when a willing donor cannot directly donate because of incompatibility. What makes this achievement particularly meaningful is the spirit of compassion, harmony, and trust demonstrated by the donors and families. We are proud to bring together advanced medical expertise, multidisciplinary teamwork, and a deeply human approach to help more patients find a path towards a healthier life.”
Both men have recovered well following the transplantation, with serum creatinine levels of 1.26 mg/dL and 1.30 mg/dL, respectively, at discharge, indicating good early kidney function, the statement said, adding that all four people involved were discharged on July 18.
The transplants were performed by a multidisciplinary team led by Dr Sonal Dalal, Dr Javed Vakil, Dr Ketan Shukla, Dr Himanshu Patel, and Dr Bhavin Mahetaliya, with the support of transplant coordinator Rahil Shah.
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters. Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More