Chandrakant Pawar is lucky to be alive. In September, the Indian former textile mill worker was given an artificial pacemaker after his heart rate plunged to just 20 to 30 beats per minute.

Chandrakant Pawar (PIC/AFP)

On the face of it, his case was not unusual, with the use of pacemakers to correct abnormal heart rates now commonplace around the world. What was more unusual is that his pacemaker was "second-hand".