SG-PGI to start transplant centre for kidney patients from next yr, upgrade facilities

Kidney patients from several parts of the country and even from across the border come to SG-PGI as the complex surgery is performed here at ₹2.5-5 lakh as compared to ₹12-15 lakh in private hospitals.

LUCKNOW In view of the long queue of patients waiting for a kidney transplant, a new facility dedicated to the purpose would be opened at the city-based Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SG-PGI) from the next year.

The hospital performs 130 kidney transplants in a year. (HT Photo)

Speaking on the proposed development, Professor Radha Krishna Dhiman, director, SG-PGI, said, “The hospital performs 130 kidney transplants in a year. However, within a year, the institute will start a kidney transplant centre and increase postoperative ICU beds. We aim to perform 500 kidney transplants in a year. Meanwhile, the organ transplant building is ready and has already become operational.”

The aim behind is to improve the existing infrastructure and increase the number of experts, operation theatres, nurses and other support staff to reduce the waiting period for kidney patients, said Professor Dhiman. “The 200-bed kidney transplant centre is ready and from next year, we are going to utilise the building. Currently, we are able to perform around 2-3 transplants every week. This would be increased to 10-15 per week once the centre becomes operational,” he added.

Notably, kidney patients from several parts of the country and even from across the border come to SG-PGI as the complex surgery is performed here at ₹2.5-5 lakh as compared to ₹12-15 lakh in private hospitals.

Long wait risking lives

Kidney patients in the state are a worried lot as only a small percentage of them get timely transplants. According to experts, Uttar Pradesh has as many as 40,000 kidney patients in need of transplant. However, not more than 250 kidney transplants are performed across the year in the state. Out of these, 130 transplants are performed at SG-PGI itself.

At present, 659 patients are waiting to get a kidney transplant at SG-PGI. If conditions remain the same, a lot of them will not be able to get the transplant even next year. In fact, there have been cases where patients waited for nearly five years. This long waiting period risks their lives.

Besides SG-PGI, Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and a few other hospitals of Noida and Ghaziabad perform the kidney transplant. Apart from these, Apollo Medics and Medanta Lucknow are among the private players conducting the surgery.

With SG-PGI administration aiming to triple the number of transplants they perform in a year, there is some hope for patients but for now, the clock is ticking.