Kolkata: Manipal Hospital, EM Bypass, in association with the Society for Heart Failure and Transplantation (SHFT), convened an in-depth session on “Medical Ethics: A Wide-Reaching Perspective” during the Society’s Annual Meeting in Kolkata. The discussion brought together leading medical experts, administrators, and ethicists to reflect on one of healthcare’s most complex questions — the withdrawal of life-sustaining therapies in transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS) patients.
Prof. Dr. Monotosh Panja, Senior Consultant – Cardiology (middle)
Dr. Dilip Kumar, Senior Consultant – Interventional Cardiology (left)
The session, moderated by Dr. Kunal Sarkar, Senior Consultant – Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Manipal Hospital, and Organizing Secretary of SHFT, examined the ethical, legal, and clinical dilemmas in discontinuing advanced systems like LVADs (Left Ventricular Assist Devices) and ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) when care becomes futile or contrary to a patient’s wishes.
Life-support technologies have transformed survival rates for patients with end-stage heart failure and transplant candidates. Yet, they have also raised profound ethical questions on autonomy, consent, and quality of life.
The distinguished panel featured:
- Dr. Kaushik Biswas, Member, West Bengal Medical Council
- Mr. Komal Dashora, Cluster Director – Manipal Hospitals (Mukundapur Cluster)
- Dr. Sudeshna Lahiri, Medical Superintendent – Manipal Hospitals (EM Bypass)
- Dr. Tanmay Banerjee, Senior Consultant, Critical Care Medicine – Manipal Hospitals (EM Bypass)
- Mr. Milon Mukherjee, Senior Advocate
- Prof. (Dr.) Manimay Bandyopadhyay, Director, ROTTO & Director, IPGMER
Dr. Kunal Sarkar highlighted the scale of the issue:
“India records over 2 lakh cases of end-stage heart failure annually, but fewer than 1,000 transplants are performed. While LVADs and ECMO extend survival, they also create difficult ethical challenges. Medicine must remain humane before it is mechanical. Our duty extends beyond prolonging life to ensuring dignity and comfort.”
Dr. Ayanabh Debgupta, COO – Manipal Hospitals East, emphasized building a culture of ethical care alongside organ donation awareness:
“Medical ethical decision-making is as much listening as it is healing. With the Manipal Organ Sharing & Transplant (MOST) initiative, we are committed to greater awareness, training for ICU teams, and dialogues that prioritize empathy, simplicity, and patient values.”
He also outlined plans under MOST, including:
- Training programmes for ICU nurses and physicians
- Mass media campaigns across districts and Tier-II & III towns
- Advocacy for including organ donation in school curricula
- Recognition programmes for donor families
The session closed with a call for stronger public education, policy guidelines, and advance care planning to align medical decisions with patient values while safeguarding healthcare providers.
The event underscored that the future of ethical medicine lies in harmonizing science, empathy, and societal participation.
