Sushma Swaraj comes to a widow's help despite being in hospital

Delhi: Despite being in the hospital for kidney ailment, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took time out to help a woman who lost her husband in Japan recently.

The wife of the deceased, Radha Debi, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar, has approached Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) saying she is financially weak and unable to bear the expenses for bringing back the body of Gopal Ram (48) for performing last rites.

Gopal, who had gone to Tokyo in September last year to work as a cook in a hotel, passed away after a heart attack on December 10.

According to his son, Jatin, he was fired from the job within three months after which he started working in some local shop.

His financial condition was bad because of which he was in distress.

Maliwal had written to Swaraj seeking help in bringing back the body.

"The woman has approached the commission to seek assistance for repatriation of her husband's body to India for performing last rites. She has informed that she has no means of ensuring the same as her family is financially weak and is unable to bear the expenses for the same. The family is severely distressed and needs your kind support. As we all aware you have been extremely pro-active in resolving such matters. Therefore, I am forwarding the representation along with this letter for your kind perusal. Hoping for your support in this matter," Maliwal had said in a letter to Swaraj.

The EAM, responding to DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal's request, said, "We (government) will bear all the expenses and do this without delay."

On December 10, the EAM was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit after the nearly six-hour-long surgery by a team of 50.

AIIMS sources had said that the kidney for Swaraj was donated by a woman who is in her 40s and not related to the External Affairs Minister, as per PTI.

As no suitable donor was available in the immediate family, the transplant was done with the kidney from a living unrelated donor, sources had said, adding the clearance for it was obtained from the Authorisation Committee of AIIMS.

"The surgery was successful and uneventful. She is admitted in the ICU and her condition is stable. The donor voluntarily donated her kidney to the Minister," AIIMS Director MC Mishra had said.

Mishra had said that the surgery was carried out at the cardio-thoracic centre by a team of 50 personnel including transplant surgeons, transplant anesthesiologists, nurses, technicians and other supporting staff.

The team had comprised Mishra, surgeons VK Bansal and V Seenu, nephrologist Sandeep Mahajan and Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) chief Dr Balram Airan among others.

(With PTI inputs)