Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday said the first kidney transplant surgery in the state was successfully conducted at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences , here.
The CM described the procedure as a major milestone in Arunachal Pradesh's healthcare journey and a step towards providing advanced medical treatment within the state.
"The first kidney transplant was successfully performed at TRIHMS on Sunday with the support of a team of senior transplant specialists from New Delhi-based Sir Ganga Ram Hospital," he said during a media briefing at his office here.
Khandu said the state government had been working with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for the past three years to build the capacity of doctors and nurses at TRIHMS and expressed gratitude to the hospital's management and senior doctors for their support.
The CM said he had visited the hospital along with the Health Minister and Health Advisor after the surgery and met both the recipient and the donor's relatives.
The chief minister said the success of the first transplant had demonstrated that TRIHMS doctors and nurses had been able to adopt the specialised procedure and that the government would work to increase the number of kidney transplants in the coming days.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister said the success of the first transplant had demonstrated that TRIHMS doctors and nurses had been able to adopt the specialised procedure and that the government would work to increase the number of kidney transplants in the coming days.
{{/usCountry}}Khandu also said the government was strengthening other departments at TRIHMS, with cardiology being the next major area of focus.
The cardiology programme, including DNB training, would be further strengthened, he said.
On the cancer hospital being constructed at Midpu, Khandu said around 55 per cent of the work had been completed.
"Initial delays were caused by land-related issues, but the project was now progressing, and the facility was expected to start functioning next year. The government has also begun assessing manpower requirements," he said.
The government recently enhanced financial assistance for organ transplants under its healthcare support programme, officials said.
Kidney transplant assistance has been raised from ₹10 lakh to ₹12.5 lakh, bone marrow support from ₹15 lakh to ₹17.5 lakh and liver transplant assistance from ₹20 lakh to ₹22.5 lakh.
The ₹2.5 lakh increase for each procedure is part of the CM CARES initiative aimed at strengthening healthcare support and reducing the financial burden on families requiring specialised treatment, they added.
Khandu said the government's broader objective was to ensure that people of Arunachal Pradesh could access advanced medical treatment within the state instead of having to travel to major cities, saving families both time and money.
He also requested Sir Ganga Ram Hospital to further strengthen the hand-holding programme so that the state's medical team could gradually acquire full expertise in the specialised procedure.
Health and Family Welfare Secretary Vivek H P said the first transplant was conducted in accordance with the present capacity of the state, with neurologists and nephrologists available at TRIHMS.
He said the initial focus would be on limited procedures while doctors and nurses undergo further training and gain confidence.
Over the past three years, several batches of doctors and nurses from TRIHMS have undergone training at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Even when patients from Arunachal travelled to Delhi hospital for treatment, doctors from the state accompanied them to gain first-hand experience, Vivek said.
TRIHMS transplant surgeon Dr Naloh Mibang said the recipient was a 34-year-old man and the donor was his 45-year-old sister.
Both were stable after their vital parameters were examined on Monday and were expected to recover well over the next 48 to 72 hours, he said.
Sir Ganga Ram Hospital transplant surgeon Dr Harsh Jauhari, who oversaw the procedure, said the transplant was 'the first of many to come' and credited the chief minister's vision and the support of the government and hospital administration.
Dr Jauhari said kidney-related diseases were increasing and Arunachal needed to prepare for future healthcare requirements, particularly as conditions such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension were contributing to kidney failure.
"TRIHMS should eventually develop into a centre of excellence for the Northeast, attracting patients from across the region," Dr Jauhari added.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.