KGMU’s kidney transplant programme in ‘sleep mode’; patients forced to seek costlier alternatives

LUCKNOW A man in his late 20s suffering from a chronic kidney ailment, earlier this year, sought help from doctors at city’s King George’s Medical University. After conducting all the necessary tests in June and July, a kidney transplant was recommended, with his father as the donor. However, the operation couldn’t proceed due to an unexpected hiccup -- KGMU’s kidney transplant programme had been on hold due to lack of coordination between concerned departments. This has been the situation since April 25, when the last kidney transplant operation took place at the institution. Faced with this setback, the man had to resort to a private hospital for the transplant, incurring higher costs than what KGMU would have charged.

KGMU’s kidney transplant programme, which commenced in December 2022, successfully completed five kidney transplant operations by April 2023, with all patients still undergoing follow-up care. When asked about the situation, KGMU’s vice-chancellor, Professor Soniya Nityanand, stated, “The organ transplant programme is a top priority for us. We are actively working on restarting kidney transplants to support our patients. We have all the necessary infrastructure in place, and any missing elements will be procured for the welfare of our patients.”

Currently, there is a waitlist of half a dozen patients in need of kidney transplants. While patients are ready for the procedure, the unavailability of operating theatres and post-operation ICU facilities is hindering further kidney transplants. Plans were made to provide the kidney transplant unit in the Department of Urology with two operating theatres in the Centenary Hospital building, which boasts eight operating theatres on the first floor and as many on the second floor. However, this issue remains unresolved.

KGMU holds the distinction of being the pioneering centre for cadaveric organ donations in Lucknow. Numerous organ transplants have taken place using organs retrieved from brain-dead patients at KGMU, benefiting patients both on-campus and at institutions such as PGI and medical centres in New Delhi.

In India, over two lakh people require kidney transplant operations each year, with more than two thousand patients in Uttar Pradesh awaiting such surgery at any given time. While those who can afford it seek private healthcare options, others must wait for opportunities within government healthcare setups.

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