KOCHI: The first and second hand transplants in the country held one-and-half-year and one-year ago respectively found a new meaning on Thursday with both getting to work in two different ways. The first one to undergo transplant was Thodupuzha native Manu T.R. who lost his hands during an attack by hooligans during a train journey.
His transplant took place in January 2015, while the second one was undertaken on Afghan native Abdul Rahim in May the same year. Both feats were achieved at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) here by a team led by transplant surgeon Dr Subramania Iyer. Manu was given a job as transplant assistant in the transplant team of AIMS on Thursday.
The appointment order was handed over by Swami Poornamrithananda Puri to Manu at a function on the hospital premises. Two days later Abdul Rahim will return to Kandahar in Afghanistan to join the Afghan army where he is a captain. The call from the Army to join back came two days back. He is enthusiasm personified and he said that he is keen on leading an active role in the Army campaign to regain peace. He was engaged in the job of clearing mines during which he lost his hands in a mine blast.
"A plastic surgeon from Kabul had flown in here a month back and he spent a week and we could familiarise him with what we have done on Abdul Rahim and the medication. Now he will take care of Rahim and Rahim will have to come down to Kochi once in six months for check-up," said Dr Iyer. Both Manu and Rahim can pedal bicycle and drive cars with the hands. The donor families of Benoy and Joseph received praise from speakers.
