The Government Medical College Hospital, Kottayam, has become the first government hospital in Kerala and the third in the country to successfully perform a lung transplant. 

On Thursday, the hospital also conducted three major organ transplants, heart, lungs and kidney, all on the same day, setting another record. The organs belonged to A R Aneesh, 38, of Poozhanad, Thiruvananthapuram, a Deputy Prison Officer at Poojappura Central Jail, who was recently declared brain-dead. The organs he donated have now given new life to several patients.

The lungs, heart, and one kidney harvested from Aneesh were transplanted into three patients at the Medical College Hospital. His retina was sent to the Eye Bank, the second kidney to Ernakulam Medical Trust Hospital, and both hands were transported to Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) to give others a new chance at life.

The lungs were transplanted to Divya (27) of Mundakkayam, who had suffered severe lung damage due to ingestion of paraquat pesticide. The heart was given to M M Mathew (57) of Ernakulam, and the kidney was given to Aji Kumar (34), a native of Pathanamthitta. Hospital authorities confirmed that all three surgeries were successful and that the recipients are under 48-hour observation.

The lung transplant surgery began at 11.30 pm and was completed by 6 am the next day. This night of extraordinary teamwork and medical brilliance saw Kottayam Medical College rise to national prominence, alongside premier institutions such as AIIMS, New Delhi, and Government Stanley Medical College, Chennai.

Notably, Kottayam Medical College was the first government hospital in Kerala to perform liver and heart transplants. The kidney transplant performed on Thursday also marked the 250th such surgery at the institution.