A group of 24 patients with serious ailments and awaiting organ transplant and specialised medical treatment for over six months due to the coronavirus pandemic have been brought from Myanmar to Delhi for treatment at a leading private facility here, hospital authorities said on Thursday.

Their grave health condition ranges from chronic liver or kidney disease to hepatitis B virus infection, doctors said.

“They were flown to Delhi on July 2 in a special chartered flight after the Covid-19-induced lockdown restrictions were eased for international travel,” a spokesperson of Apollo hospital here said.

Many patients from abroad visit the city from time to time for medical advice and treatment but the second wave of the Covid had put a halt on their travel, prolonging their suffering.

The spokesperson said the 24 patients from Myanmar are currently kept in a 12-day quarantine, after which their condition will be assessed for transplant procedures, some may not need it and would require just specialised medical care.

“The patients were suffering from chronic liver, kidney and cardio-vascular diseases and had been waiting for organ transplant and specialised medical treatment for over six months.

“Fortunately with ease in international travel and immense support by embassies of the countries we have been able to get them to India to our centre for medical assistance,” said Dr Anupam Sibal, group medical director, Apollo Hospitals.

Doctors at the hospital in south Delhi said these patients have been in "grave health condition" and any further delay in medical intervention "could have been fatal".

One of the patients is a 48-year-old man who had been suffering from chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), this is progressive and irreversible condition that causes the tissues to scar. The man had been waiting for treatment for over six months and hence his condition had progressed into induced liver cancer," said Dr Neerav Goyal, senior consultant, liver transplant, at the hospital.

His condition was initially managed in Myanmar with chemo embolisation and last week he was brought to Delhi in a specialised charter flight, along with 23 other such patients for organ transplant, he added.

Delhi had been hit hard with the second wave of the pandemic and the oxygen supply shortage issue at various hospitals here added to the woes of the people.

The coronavirus pandemic situation has improved a bit in the last few weeks.

Non-Covid patients, especially those suffering from cancer or chronic ailments, and pregnant women had to go through a great deal of hardship in the April-June period.