Manipal Hospitals, one of the largest healthcare networks in India, has reiterated its hallmark strengths—multidisciplinary care, comprehensive treatment, and faster turnaround time in recovery—by successfully reviving a critically ill 71-year-old malaria patient at Manipal Broadway Unit in Kolkata. The patient was in Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support facility which had already earned national repute during COVID-19 with high patient survival ratio of over 50%. The miraculous revival was led by Dr. Susruta Bandyopadhyay, HOD – ICU and Critical Care, Dr. Rajarshi Roy, Critical Care Specialist, along with a multidisciplinary specialists panel including Dr. Subhasis Ganguly, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Dr. Subhasis Roy Chowdhury, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Ranjan Sarkar, Senior Consultant Nephrology, Dr. Debraj Jash, Head of the Department – Pulmonology (Respiratory and Sleep Medicine), Dr. Ashok Verma, Cardiac Anaesthetist; Dr. Sujit Chaudhuri, Head of the Department – Medical Gastroenterology, Dr. Kaushik Das, Consultant – ENT Head & Neck Surgeon, Dr. Debayan Tarafdar, Consultant – ENT and Dr. Subhra Ganguly, Consultant – ENT, never let their eyes off the patient, putting their best efforts together on access and monitor his condition and help stabilize him. The team was able to wean the patient off ECMO on November 1st following placement of a tracheostomy (an opening surgically created through the neck into the windpipe to allow air to fill the lungs) for increased support of respiratory with their combined expertise and evidence-based interventions.
The patient, Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, 71, a renowned consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and an infertility specialist, was brought to the Emergency Department (ED) of Manipal Hospitals, Broadway on 21st October 2024, in a very critical condition. He had been shifted from another hospital and required support with acute ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) under non-invasive ventilation. For five days, he had suffered from high-grade fever along with loss of appetite, headache, and generalized arthralgia (joint pain). Tests at the previous hospital led to a diagnosis of possible involvement of Plasmodium vivax malaria with some cardiac issues. On admission, Dr. Chatterjee was shifted directly to Critical Care and placed on Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) since his hypoxia was worsening. Oxygen saturation did not improve, and he was intubated and maintained on Mechanical Ventilation. Doctors meanwhile tried to improve his situation with prone ventilation. After informing the family about the risks and benefits, the team decided to institute Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) on the 23rd of October as the last resort for his respiratory function. He was shifted from the ICU to the HDU and then to the ward; he improved steadily and was discharged on 14th November, with a smile of gratitude, testifying to dedicated care and collaboration by the medical team and the resilience of the patient himself.
Dr. Susruta Bandyopadhyay, HOD – ICU and Critical Care stated, “Dr. Chatterjee was admitted with vivax malaria, which usually does not present as a severe disease. But in his case, he developed a deadly complication called ARDS. Vivax malaria presenting with ARDS is not unknown, but extremely uncommon. He progressed with severe ARDS and was ventilated, but was unable to maintain his oxygen level and carbon dioxide level with different ventilator modes. Ultimately, a decision to put him on ECMO was taken. He stayed on the ECMO for about 10 days. After that was successfully taken off the ECMO as well as the ventilator. Right now, he is going home with a smile on his face. The pleasure of getting a serious patient from the brink of death is immense. On top of that, we are also pleased as he has been associated with this hospital from even the initial days or the earliest days. So, the reward is double, getting a serious patient out of danger and getting a colleague back to his work.”
Dr. Subhasis Ganguly, Consultant, Internal Medicine, stated, “Dr. Anjan Chatterjee’s recovery is nothing short of a remarkable feat. It is a testament to the power of advanced medical interventions like ECMO. Even in cases as uncommon and complex as malaria induced respiratory failure with ARDS, patients rarely require ECMO, and in this instance, it was an absolute last resort, making it one of the rarest. Opting for early elective ventilation with ECMO and early tracheostomy turned out to be lifesaving decisions. Relentless monitoring for prevention of infection and combatting expected bleeding from the exposed site, as also early weaning from ECMO and decannulation were possible due to the herculean effort of our ICU and ECMO operational teams. Seeing him getting discharged today with a grateful smile is a reminder of the strength of the human spirit and the dedication of our team who fought by his side every step of the way. This recovery is a triumph of the cumulative strength of our multidisciplinary team coupled with evidence-based interventions that we will hold close to our hearts.”
Dr. Anjan Chatterjee, a 71-year-old male patient shared his experience, “One day, I started feeling feverish and got tested, which confirmed I had malaria. At first, I was admitted to a local hospital, but the care was not satisfactory for my needs. I consulted Dr. Subhasis Ganguly thereafter, and I was shifted to the ICU of Manipal Broadway immediately. I did not even know what happened for the next five days. Later I learned that I had been put on ECMO support. I also experienced something in my throat, realizing that a tracheostomy had been done since my lungs were not functioning properly. I feel much better now. I am grateful to the whole Manipal team for taking proper care and for their support.”
