100 kidney transplants in eight years

Tatwadarsha Hospital in Hubballi has completed over 100 kidney transplant surgeries since the launch of its transplant programme in December 2017.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, nephrologist Dr. Venkatesh Moger said that the first kidney transplant in the hospital was performed on December 23, 2017, and subsequently, 12 to 15 transplants were being successfully carried out every year.

“Nearly three-fourths of the transplants were from living related donors, while the remaining were performed using kidneys from brain-dead donors. Under the programme the hospital has also carried out 5 ABO incompatible transplants, 3 paediatric transplants and 1 swap transplant. And 86% of recipients are currently leading healthy and independent lives”, he said.

He said that that 80 transplants involved family donors, while 23 kidneys were obtained through deceased donation. Appreciating the State’s Jeevasarthakathe programme for coordinating cadaver donations, he said the hospital conducted annual awareness drives and plans to honour families who consented to organ donation.

Organ transplant coordinator Khasim Mullanavar urged citizens to pledge their organs through the Jeeva Sarathi portal, stating that the main aim of the programme was to encourage more people to come forward for organ donation.