Hearing the plight of 16-year-old Jayasree through media reports, Fr Santhosh George of the Malankara Orthodox Church had a few days ago volunteered to donate one of his kidneys to the girl whose both kidneys had failed.
Jayashree, who is from a poor family here, was advised an emergency surgery by doctors and her relatives approached a local television channel. On seeing the story on the channel, Fr George came forward to donate his kidney to the girl.
However, the authorities of Medical College here, where the girl has been undergoing treatment for the past six months, denied permission to donate the vital organ citing a Central Government rule which forbids kidney transplant in government hospitals if the donor is not a blood relative of the patient.
Fr George, a priest who is now serving in an Orthodox church in Puducherry, said it was "cruel" to prevent him from donating the organ as the health condition of the girl is deteriorating fast.
"As per the rule, only those having blood relation with the patient can donate kidneys," he said.
But, he added, even if the kidney donation is done in a private hospital, a certificate of permission must be obtained from the panel of doctors appointed by the state government to monitor kidney donations attached to medical colleges in the region where the surgery would be done.
"The rule is actually good as it will help in curbing illegal organ trade. But, it will adversely affect genuine cases like this one," he said.
When contacted, the hospital authorities said that under the Human Organ Transplantation Act, only father, mother, siblings, children or spouse of a patient can donate their kidney in such cases. If any of them was not fit, the matter had to be referred to a state-level committee.
In Jayasree's case, her father's kidney matches hers. However, the patient's relatives complained that her father is mentally deranged. The authorities have suggested that the family obtain a certificate from a psychiatrist about the father's mental health condition so that the panel could consider the offer made by the priest.
The parents of the girl, who have spent all their meagre financial resources on the treatment of their daughter, could not take her to a private hospital as the operation would cost at least Rs 10 lakh there.
However, the same surgery could be performed at a cost of Rs 3.5 lakh at a government hospital, Fr George said.
"All rules should be for the benefit of people. An amendment in the guideline will benefit a large number of poor patients. My fast is an attempt to open the eyes of authorities," he said.
Former Supreme Court Judge Justice V R Krishna Iyer inaugurated the fast before the Secretariat complex here yesterday. Several NGOs and human rights activists have come out in support of the priest.
The Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust at Thonnakkal near here has agreed to meet the expenses of the transplantation.