AP govt responds to mercy killing plea for 8-month-old with medical help

Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday offered help to a nine month-old child suffering from a rare liver disease after her parents approached a court in Chittoor district seeking mercy killing.

Gyanasai, born to Ramanappa and Saraswati from Chittoor district, has been suffering from a rare liver disease known as biliary atresia, since her birth, a state government release said.

"The parents could not bear the huge cost of treatment for the disease and they approached a court in Chittoor district seeking mercy killing for the baby as they were unable to see her pain," it said.

State Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas took up the matter with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who announced that help would be provided to the child from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

The baby was taken to a liver specialist Mohammed Rela, who suggested that she needed a liver transplant surgery urgently, the release added, adding, the father would donate his liver to the daughter in the operation to be conducted in a major hospital in Chennai next Monday.

Officials have completed all arrangements for the surgery to be performed in Chennai, it said.