Thiruvananthapuram: The general hospital in the state capital gained national attention by becoming the first district-level hospital to perform five corneal transplant surgeries within one and a half months.Among these, the hospital successfully conducted a lamellar keratoplasty (DSEK), a procedure that replaces only the damaged layers of the cornea without removing it entirely, using advanced technology and expertise. Health minister Veena George congratulated the entire team at the general hospital for this commendable achievement. The hospital was recently equipped with the necessary infrastructure for corneal transplantation. Performing this expensive surgery, typically done in private hospitals, at a govt-run general hospital is a significant achievement that elevates the standard of eye surgeries in Kerala and is a matter of pride for the health department. It marks an important step in Kerala’s blindness prevention programme. Corneal surgeons Dr Rashmi P Haridas and Dr Divya, anaesthesiologists Dr Ambili and Dr Madhu, nursing officers Bobby and Revathi, transplant coordinator Nadia, and nursing assistant Molly were present during the corneal surgeries.
