NRS Medical College 2nd govt hosp in state to carry out kidney transplant

KOLKATA: NRS Medical College and Hospital emerges to be the second government hospital in the state to conduct kidney transplant after the SSKM Hospital.

Till now, the SSKM Hospital had been the only centre at the government level where the patients could undergo kidney transplant. Starting of the new service at the NRS Medical College will open new opportunities for the patients required to undergo kidney transplant on an emergency basis. People belonging to the low middle class category cannot afford kidney transplant in private hospitals due to its cost. As a result, they have no other option to depend on the government set up.

NRS Medical College and Hospital on Tuesday performed a kidney transplant on Sujit Mondal (27), a resident of Nadia who had been suffering from severe kidney related ailments. Sujit's father Anadi Mondal had donated the kidney.

The surgery lasted for nearly five hours. According to hospital sources, Sujit had been under treatment at the NRS Medical College for one year. Doctors told the family members that the patient requires a transplant. The family members were looking for a kidney. As they failed, the patient's father agreed to donate his kidney.

Hospital authorities formed a team of doctors to conduct the surgery. The team consisted of Uro-transplant surgeons Dr Tapas Mondal, Dr Asit Halder and Dr Tapas Maji, anesthesiologists Dr Manabendra Sarkar and Dr Tapas Bhattacharjee, head of Nephrology Dr Pinaki Mukherjee. Two senior transplant surgeons from SSKM Hospital Dr Debangshu Sarkar and Dr Prakash Sanki were also present during the surgery.

After coming to power, the Mamata Banerjee government had laid great stress on organ transplants.

The Health department has enhanced health infrastructure in various government hospitals. Many heart transplants have been performed at the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and SSKM Hospital. An upgraded kidney transplant unit was set up at the SSKM and now NRS Hospital has now come up with the new facilities.