Foreign Patients Services


Initial contact and appointment procedure | Procedure upon reaching Delhi

Liver Surgery for foreign patients at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH)
Since the author's team and hospital provide a world class liver transplant service at a fraction of the cost of the Western centres, foreign patients regularly travel to the centre for liver transplants and other advanced liver surgery. This is especially true for those from near by countries such as Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and the UAE. Proximity to their home country and many cultural similarities are the other factors that make Delhi a preferred destination for advanced medical treatment with these people. Many such patients suffering from terminal liver disease or liver cancer have had successful liver transplants or other major liver operations at the SGRH.

Initial contact and appointment procedure

Contact, arranging appointment, travelling to Delhi

The procedure is quite simple.

1. The family should contact Dr. A.S. Soin by e-mail, and send all the patient's relevant medical records by e-mail or fax or courier.
2. After reviewing the medical details, Dr. A.S. Soin will write back his opinion and whether the patient needs a liver transplant (or some other liver operation).
3. If the patient wishes to pursue the transplant or other treatment at SGRH, Dr. Soin will then send all the financial details and donor requirements that are relevant to the case.
4. In case a transplant is advised, the family should identify the prospective liver donor(s) and inform Dr. Soin. He will then advise some basic tests for the donor(s) in their home country so that the chances of the donor being finally accepted at Delhi are high and there is minimal delay in the transplant. The criteria for a suitable donor are given below.
5. Once the donor is identified and tested, and the family is ready to travel to Delhi, Dr. Soin's office will help in the visa process.
6. Upon arrival at Delhi, the patient and his attendants will be received at the airport by a SGRH vehicle. The patient will then normally be taken to the hospital (1/2 hour drive from the airport) and admitted there straightaway. One attendant is allowed to stay with the patient unless the patient is in the ICU. With prior notice, A/C accommodation can be arranged near the hospital for the other attendants where they will be transferred from the airport.
7. Emergency Ambulance and Transport Service
   Our partners in emergency transportation of patients from within India and abroad both by land, air and train are EM SOS MEDICAL PVT. LTD.
   Their website address is www.emsos.in and contact nos.
   Dr. Navnit Singh - +91 9311223230, 9899785455,
   Dr. Jyoti Singh - +91 9899203230 and
   24 Hrs. Helpline: +91-11-32568853.

Assuming that a family donor is available, the patient should come over to Delhi with the idea of being here for a total of about 3 months including pre-transplant evaluation and preparation, the actual transplant and stabilization in the immediate post transplant follow up period.

In Delhi at SGRH, a transplant evaluation will first be carried out to see if the patient needs transplant and whether he is fit for it. If a transplant is deemed suitable, the next step is to get a donor liver. If the patient waits for a cadaveric liver, his transplant will take place whenever the liver becomes available (few months). If he gets a family donor along, the transplant can take place within 15-20 days of reaching here. We get cadaver livers from time to time (although infrequently) but do not provide living donors.

After transplant, the patient will have to be in hospital for a month and in Delhi for follow up for another 4-6 weeks. After that, Dr. A.S. Soin's team will establish contact with the patient's local liver specialist and make arrangements for the patient's long-term follow up in his home country. From about 2-3 months after transplant, most patients lead an amazingly normal life. 

The family donor is discharged from hospital after 7-10 days and allowed to go out from Delhi after another 10-15 days after which he is completely normal in every respect as he was before the liver donation.

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