A story of compassion, medical excellence, and the power of organ donation, a 23-year-old man from Salem has returned home with renewed hope after receiving a bilateral hand transplant at Amrita Hospital, Kochi. The life-changing transplant became possible through the noble act of organ donation by Aneesh A.R., a jail official from Poojappura Central Jail, who suffered brain death following a fall at Pampa during his pilgrimage to Sabarimala.
Honouring Aneesh’s wish, his family consented to organ donation, allowing his hands to be transplanted to Gokulapriyan, who had lost both hands in a tragic electrocution accident in 2018 while repairing the roof of a family-run poultry farm. The incident also claimed the life of his grandfather. Though Gokulapriyan later received prosthetic hands, regaining a normal, independent life remained a distant dream.
Gokulapriyan approached Amrita Hospital, Kochi, under the Mrita Sanjeevani scheme and shifted to his grandmother’s residence in Haripad to facilitate regular treatment and follow-up. On October 22, 2025, after a meticulously planned, hours-long surgery, a multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Subrahmanya Iyer successfully performed the bilateral hand transplant.
The complex procedure and post-operative care involved specialists from multiple departments, including Orthopaedics, Plastic Surgery, Anaesthesiology, Nephrology, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. The team included Dr. Kishore Purushothaman, Dr. Jimmy Mathew, Dr. Mohit Sharma, Dr. Janardhanan, Dr. Sam Thomas, Dr. Balu C. Babu, Dr. Jerry Paul, Dr. Sunil Rajan, Dr. George Kurian, Dr. Ravi Sankaran, along with dedicated nursing and allied health professionals.
After a 32-day hospital stay marked by intensive rehabilitation and family support, Gokulapriyan was discharged amid an emotional farewell ceremony at Amrita Hospital. The occasion was attended by Amrita Hospitals Group Medical Director Dr. Prem Nair, Senior Medical Administrator Dr. Prathapan Nair, Executive Director of the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (K-SOTTO) Dr. Noble Gracias S.S., and members of the hospital team. The hospital marked the moment by cutting a cake and wishing Gokulapriyan a new beginning.
Expressing gratitude and hope, Gokulapriyan said he now looks forward to reclaiming his life with confidence and dignity. His father and grandmother, who attended the farewell, shared heartfelt thanks to the donor family and the medical team.
Dr. Subrahmanya Iyer noted that Amrita Hospital has emerged as a global leader in bilateral hand transplantation. Since the programme’s inception a decade ago, Amrita Hospitals in Kochi and Faridabad have successfully completed 21 bilateral hand transplant surgeries, making it the first centre in the world to achieve this milestone.
