Train accident victim gets new hands in rare transplant at Delhi hospital
New Delhi, Mar 6: A 45-year-old man, who lost his upper limbs after being run over by a train, has got another shot at resuming a normal life with a bilateral hand transplant at a private hospital in the national capital.
The patient will be discharged from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on Thursday after spending nearly six weeks in the hospital.
Raj Kumar, a resident of Nangloi and a painter by profession, was crossing the railway tracks near his house on his bicycle when the accident happened.
"I was limping due to a leg injury. I slipped on the tracks and my bicycle got stuck. I was trying to pull my bicycle with my hands when I was run over," he recalled.
He lost his upper limbs in the accident. Kumar became dependent on others for his day-to-day activities, said Dr Mahesh Mangal, chairman of the Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery at the hospital.
On January 19, a team of surgeons collaborated to execute the intricate procedure, delicately reattaching various components - bones, arteries, veins, tendons, muscles, nerves, and skin.
Precision and expertise were the key, ensuring the seamless integration of the transplanted hands into Raj Kumar's body, Mangal said.
Kumar said that it was a fortnight after the surgery that his bandages were removed, and he could not be more thankful.
Before the surgery, Kumar's only options were either the use of prosthetics or hand transplant. He began using prosthetics but his prosthetic trail was unsuccessful and his only hope was a hand transplant, he said.
But at that time, no centre in north India had the permission to perform a hand transplant.
In February last year, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, became the first hospital in north India to receive permission to perform hand transplant, said Mangal.
"When we were looking for potential candidates for hand transplant, Kumar was on our waiting list. As per transplant protocols, detailed examination and necessary investigations were done. In third week of January, a glimmer of optimism emerged for Raj Kumar when he got a call from the hospital," the doctor said.
The family members of a retired vice-principal of a school in Delhi expressed their wish to donate her organs after her death, which resulted in Kumar getting a second chance in life.
According to a doctor who treated him, the patient will be on immunosuppressants throughout his life.
"His immunity is slightly low. So he has to take care that he does not catch any infection. He will be on anti-rejection medication for a lifetime now, which also includes immunosuppression medication given for liver or kidney transplants. It happened for the first time and we are very happy now," the doctor told PTI.
The doctor said the patient's nails were trimmed on Wednesday.
"Sensation is returning, but it takes some time for the nerves to reconnect. He has started moving his elbow but moving his hand and wrists will take some time.
"He will also take some time, at least six to seven months to start experiencing sensations like pain, heat, etc. He will have to take precautions to not touch anything that is too hot or too cold," he added.
The doctor stressed that Kumar will have to ensure that he remains clean and wears a mask and takes extra precautions during flu season.
As for the surgery marks, the doctor said they are not very noticeable and with time, they will also become less visible.
"After some time, even hair will grow on his hands despite him receiving a woman's hands," the doctor added.
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Centre spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print media ads for RSS centenary, reveals RTI
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.
Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.
“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.
RTI reply shows Min of Culture Govt of India spent a Whopping Rs 76L,13K,129 on Advertisement in Print Media on occasion of 100 yrs of #RSS
— AJAY Basudev Bose (@AjayBos93388306) April 16, 2026
When Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??@RSSorg… pic.twitter.com/dW4IUtdNCg
Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”
Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.
In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”
"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added.
Why is public money being used to serve a private ideological project?
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) April 16, 2026
Modi Sarkar spent ₹76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS.
Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to… pic.twitter.com/EoZ6Pim3IM
According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.
Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.
