Coimbatore : A 26-year old son of a poor farmer, whose heart was functioning just 15 per cent, got a new lease of life after a heart transplant was done in a city hospital, under Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.

The youth hailing from Nambiyur in Erode district in Tamil Nadu, was brought and admitted to a city hospital here a week ago.

After studying his health condition, cardiology experts Dr.Prashant Vaijyanath and Dr. Sureshkumar, decided that Heart transplant will only be the permanent solution.

An heart transplant surgery was performed with a heart donated from a brain dead person on the youth last week.

The transplant was done completely free of cost with the aid of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme.

The entire process – right from harvesting the heart from the brain dead, transporting the organ safe and fast so as to reach the hospital and till the transplant surgery – has to be completed within a short span of time, a doctor said.

“Time is critical and of paramount importance,” he said and appreciated the entire team for performing this transplant procedure which was lifesaving and improved the patient’s quality of life.

A heart transplant normally cost Rs.14 lakh and another Rs.one lakh to two lakh for post operative medication, hospital sources said.