Hyderabad: 50 kidney transplants in 4 months at NIMS

The 50 kidney transplants were conducted at NIMS for free of cost to needy patients under the State-run Aarogyasri health insurance scheme.

Hyderabad: In yet another remarkable achievement for government hospitals in Telangana, the organ transplant team at Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) has successfully completed 50 kidney transplants, out of which 28 were living related and 22 organs were from brain dead deceased donors, in a short span of four months.

The 50 kidney transplants were conducted at NIMS for free of cost to needy patients under the State-run Aarogyasri health insurance scheme. The chronic kidney transplant patients at NIMS are availing nearly Rs 15 lakh worth of health care services for free of cost through Aarogyasri insurance scheme.

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In the last year or so, the Telangana government had launched a concerted effort to encourage tertiary government hospitals in Hyderabad including Gandhi Hospital, OGH and NIMS to conduct organ transplants. Apart from kidney, the State-run teaching hospitals have intensified attempts at brain dead declaration and conducting transplants of other organs including heart, liver, skin and lungs.

State Health Minister, T Harish Rao said “I congratulate the NIMS hospital for completing 50 successful kidney transplants in first 4 months of this year. Under the leadership of Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, the Telangana government is now providing free medical expenses worth Rs.15lakh through Aarogyasri for organ transplant patient”.

Since statehood in 2014, the NIMS hospital has conducted 862 kidney transplants out of which 522 were living related and 340 were conducted through cadaver organ donation. Since 2015, every year on an average, the NIMs hospital conducts at least 100 kidney transplant surgeries.

Last year, the surgeons at NIMS conducted 93 kidney transplants and this year within first four months, the transplant teams have already conducted 50 kidney transplants. The deceased donor organ transplants are taken-up through Jeevandan organ donation initiative.

“In the coming months, the organ transplant centre at Gandhi Hospital being developed with a cost of Rs 35 crore will be ready, we will be able to further strengthen our high-end organ transplant surgeries in government hospitals,” Harish Rai said .

The Urology team at NIMS is led by Prof and Head, Dr Rahul Devraj and team members include Prof Dr Ch Ram Reddy, Dr S Vidyasagar, Dr G Ramachandraiah, Dr G V Charan Kumar, Dr Dheeraj, Dr Arun Kumar, Dr Sunil, Dr Vinay, Dr Vishnu and others.