Kochi: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here on Sunday that the state government would bear the cost of carrying the heart of Neelakanta Sarma by air from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi for being transplanted on Mathew Achadan on Friday.
Navy’s Dornier aircraft was pressed into service for the operation on the intervention of the chief minister and the defence force charged Rs 6 lakh for the service.
Chandy who arrived at Lisie Hospital where the heart transplantation on Mathew was held, gave a written order for the payment to Navy. He also said the government was seriously considering a permanent air ambulance service for organ lifting.
He also congratulated the team led by Dr Jose Chacko Periyapuram for successfully completing the heart transplantation and draped a ponnada on the doctor. The chief minister also interacted with Mathew’s wife Bindu.
