Sassoon Hospital performs its 34th kidney transplant surgery

The 23-year-old patient had developed severe kidney disease during pregnancy due to high blood pressure

Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) performed its 34th kidney transplant surgery on August 7 on a young girl from Vijayapura in Karnataka who received a kidney from her mother.

After getting the necessary legal approvals from the State Organ Transplant Authorisation Committee, the transplant surgery was successfully carried out under the guidance of Dean Dr Eknath Pawar. (HT FILE)

The 23-year-old patient had developed severe kidney disease during pregnancy due to high blood pressure. For over a year, she underwent treatment and dialysis in Vijayapura, but doctors later declared that both her kidneys had failed, making transplant the only option, said SGH officials in a statement released on Saturday.

Private hospitals had quoted between ₹15-20 lakh for the procedure, which the family could not afford. The patient’s husband, who works as a driver in Pune, learned through acquaintances that SGH performs kidney transplants at a fraction of the cost under the state’s Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY), said Dr Eknath Pawar, dean of SGH and B J Medical College.

The family approached Sassoon’s transplant coordinator, Satyawan Survase, who guided them through the process and connected them to charitable trusts for financial aid. After counselling, the patient’s 44-year-old mother, an Anganwadi worker and the family’s sole breadwinner, volunteered to donate her kidney.

“All kidney transplants at Sassoon are performed at minimal cost under MJPJAY. Patients only bear limited expenses on certain medicines and tests not covered under the scheme, which also are provided at concessional rates,” said Survase.

He added that financial support from organisations like Prime Minister’s Relief Fund, Oswal Brothers Society, Mukul Madhav Foundation, Rambha Charitable Trust, and Tata Trusts ensures that no poor patient is denied treatment.

After getting the necessary legal approvals from the State Organ Transplant Authorisation Committee, the transplant surgery was successfully carried out under the guidance of Dean Dr Eknath Pawar.

“Post-surgery medicines for one year are provided free of cost under the state health scheme. The donor mother was discharged on August 15 and the recipient will be discharged in a couple of days,” said an SGH official.