Chandigarh: Three kidney transplant OTs at PGI finally getting repaired

The three OTs in the department of renal transplant surgery were closed since 2022 due to faulty air-conditioning system

After three years of delay, work to renovate three kidney transplant operation theatres at PGIMER has finally begun, with completion expected in 11 months.

With the kidney transplant OTs lying closed, surgeries are being performed in two OTs designated for liver transplants. (HT)

The hospital’s department of renal transplant surgery had to shut down its three operation theatres in 2022 after the air-conditioning system failed.

Before the collapse, even the old centrally air-conditioned system had been problematic, and temporary adjustments were made using window AC units.

The system’s complete breakdown necessitated a full renovation, but tendering, among other process, took over three years.

During this period, kidney transplant surgeries were still being performed, but in two operation theatres designated for liver transplants.

Dr Ashish Sharma, head of the department, said relocation of the theatres did not impact their work greatly, but there had been an increase in the waiting period for kidney transplants from living donors.

Normally, waiting period for kidney transplant from a living donor having no medical complications is around three months, which has increased to four months.

The patient ward for kidney and pancreas transplantation is in the Nehru Extension Block, while the two operation theatres given to the department of renal transplant surgery are on the fourth floor of the main hospital. This causes challenges in immediate shifting of patients in emergency cases, said a doctor, requesting anonymity.

Amid the long waiting list, a public interest litigation for provision of functional operation theatre for organ transplants has also been filed in the Punjab and Haryana high court.

PGI city’s central hub for organ transplants

The department of renal transplant surgery at PGIMER has been crucial for end-stage kidney and pancreas failure patients for whom transplant is the only solution.

Notably, all organ transplants in Chandigarh are conducted exclusively at PGIMER, making it the city’s central hub for these life-saving procedures.

But not just Chandigarh, PGIMER’s renal transplant department also serves patients from neighbouring states, such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Many of these patients are forced to travel to Chandigarh because kidney transplants are either unavailable or too costly in their home states.

Kidney transplants up by 49% in 2 years

Kidney transplant surgeries at PGIMER have increased over the years: 201 surgeries were performed in 2022, 325 in 2023 and 301 in 2024.

To ease the burden on the renal transplant department, the urology department, which began participating in kidney transplants in 2023, also performs surgeries twice a week.

While the renal transplant surgery department performs transplant surgeries four days a week, the urology department pitches in on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Kidney transplants at PGIMER cost around ₹2-2.5 lakh, compared to up to ₹6 lakh in private hospitals.

The renal department has also initiated a Master of Chirurgiae (MCh) programme in renal transplant surgery and claims to have required infrastructure to provide training in all aspects of transplantation, including normothermic perfusion system, vascular access, pre-transplant work up, dialysis and transplant immunology.

Dr Vipin Kaushan, PGIMER’s medical superintendent, confirmed that the renovation work had begun: “While it’s underway, the renal transplant department’s facilities have been temporarily relocated and the department of urology is also lending a hand to ensure patient care continues without major disruptions.”