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HomePoliticsHere's why Arun Jaitley didn’t shake hands with PM Narendra Modi

Here’s why Arun Jaitley didn’t shake hands with PM Narendra Modi

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The union minister, recovering after a kidney transplant, is following the ‘Namaste’ line of treatment that requires strict precautions.

New Delhi: If you were taken by surprise after union minister Arun Jaitley held his hand back when Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his for a handshake Thursday, you should know that ‘Namaste’ is a line of treatment followed by patients who undergo organ transplant surgeries in India.

Jaitley underwent a renal transplant on 14 May, and after nearly three months, made a public appearance in Rajya Sabha.

“The immunity of patients who undergo organ transplants is very low. When the patients are discharged, they are asked to take strict precautions which mainly include a sanitised surrounding and avoiding physical contact. Any person around them could carry infections, so we ask them to stick to a Namaste,” said Dr. Anupam Behl, senior consultant, nephrology, Apollo Hospitals.

“This advice is mainly given to public figures and those working in crowded areas. All patients are kept under close watch and sanitised environments for first few months of the surgery,” said Behl.


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Jaitley underwent transplant surgery at the country’s most prestigious tertiary-care hospital, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Before him, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj also underwent a renal transplant in December 2016.

“Infection is one of the main threats in under-developed countries. We ask the patients to avoid crowded places and remain in a conditioned environment for the first two-three months,” said Dr. R.K. Yadav, associate professor, nephrology, AIIMS.

“Patients are given steroids, tacrolimus and MMS, which are immunosuppressant drugs to lower their immune system. It is given because there are higher chances of body rejecting the foreign organ. So to adjust the new organ in body, cells of the immune system are made dull to a level. Thus, the risks of acquiring infections increase,” said Dr. Yadav.

In the past, a number of politicians have undergone the kidney transplant procedure, including National Conference stalwart Farooq Abdullah, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran and Congress leader and two-time Assam chief minister Hiteswar Saikia, among others.

Doctors say longevity after a successful transplant depends on how strongly the patients observe the set protocol post operation.


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Yadav said the drugs are reduced after the first three months of the transplant by 30 per cent but there is an exception in patients of kidney transplants.

“In kidney transplant patients, these immunosuppressant drugs are continued in minimum dosage for lifetime,” he said.

In India, organ transplant patients become more prone to respiratory infections and gastro-intestinal infections like pneumonia, diarrhea and urinary tract infections.

International health portal WebMD suggests precautions for an organ transplant patient including washing hands often, avoiding sick as well recently-vaccinated people, staying away from crowded areas, pets, gardens, and brushing and flossing daily.

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