U.S. Indian Doctor Saves Lives Reusing Pacemakers

Bangalore: Dr. Daniel Mascarenhas, an Indian American cardiologist is a savior of many. This doctor has been successful in saving lives of thousands of people by reusing pacemakers taken from the body of the deceased.

Mascarenhas has sent more than 400 pacemakers and defibrillators to India over the last few years. The doctor considers it as a responsibility and duty towards his motherland to help save lives of Indian people. “When you are here in the U.S., you count your blessings and realize that there are so many unfortunate people in other countries. You learn to give back”, says the doctor.

Daniel completed his MBBS and MD degree from King Memorial hospital, Mumbai and also did fellowship in cardiology from the same hospital. During that time he had to see many of his patients dying in front of his eyes. Most of them did not have a strong financial background to support them and buying costly medical devices like pacemaker was out of question.  “Most individuals in India cannot afford the cost for the devices. Even if it was half the price, they couldn’t afford it either,” says Mascarenhas. 

In the 80’s and 90’s after settling in U.S , Mascarenhas started sending expired catheters, stents and other useful medical equipments to India, realizing the urgent need of such devices in the country. “I wanted to make a change in a small way. Even if it was a drop in the ocean,” he said.

The cardiologist also observed the fact that pacemakers with batteries inside a dead body do not get damaged, and they function properly when implanted into a body of live human being. For a successful transplantation out of these pacemakers, they should be completely tested and sterilized before the implantation process.

By 2003, Mascarenhas started to send defibrillators and pacemakers taken from the body of lifeless Americans to the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and later to The Holy Family Hospital, Mumbai.

He came up with a unique pacemaker bank at the Holy Family hospital and has also contributed a lot in the establishment of Goa-American Heart Foundation.

Most of the Indian patients who had pacemaker implants successfully write letters to this life-saving cardiologist.

“I am a recipient of a pacemaker donated by you. I’m a 60-year-old retired man and have suffered health problems for a very long time until I was advised to receive a pacemaker implant. The high cost was out of our reach. But the timely support from Dr. Lokhandwala and your generous contribution saved my life,” said a patient form Mumbai patient in a letter he wrote to Mascarenhas in the year 2006.