Late External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was advised not to undergo a kidney transplant surgery in India by doctors at New Delhi’s AIIMS but she refused to go abroad, saying people will lose faith in “our doctors and hospitals” if she travelled out of the country for the treatment.

Sushma, who passed away on August 6 at the age of 67 after suffering a heart attack, had undergone kidney transplant in December 2016.

Sushma’s widower Swaraj Kaushal took to Twitter on Monday night, saying AIIMS doctors were not ready for her kidney transplant surgery in India, but she said it was a matter of national pride.

“She fixed the date of her surgery and asked Dr Mukut Minz ‘Doc Sab - aap sirf instruments pakadaiye, Krishna meri surgery aap karenge’,” Swaraj Kaushal said in a series of tweets.

He further said that she was smiling in an easy chair just a day later. “She said ‘if we go abroad, people will lose faith in our Doctors and hospitals.’ She treated her surgery as a minor operation. She gave all credit to the aiims doctors who are best in the world, dedicated sisters and the staff,” he added.

Swaraj Kaushal, who is lawyer and former Mizoram governor, also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for standing by Sushma during her treatment.

“As a family, we do not have words enough to thank Prime Minister @narendramodi for all his help in @sushmaswaraj’s treatment. He was in constant touch with the doctors. He always advised her not to strain as her health was paramount. Bansuri and I are eternally grateful to him,” he said.

Further heaping praises on PM Modi, Swaraj Kaushal said that he made sure that Sushma was treated at the AIIMS wing meant for the Prime Minister.

“He would speak to her at regular intervals. There was nothing that should have been done and was not done. As a result, she was fully recovered and back to work. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Prime Minister,” he said.

“We should trust our doctors. We should have none of these Enquiry Commissions. That deters our brilliant doctors from operating on the VIPs. We salute our doctors in aiims. Nothing can match their competence and commitment,” he added.

Sushma Swaraj had opted out of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections last year, citing health issues.