Chirayu Hospital completes 50 kidney transplants in Kalaburagi

Kidney transplantation offers a better long-term solution for patients suffering from renal failure compared to lifelong dialysis as it helps restore their social and financial independence, said nephrologist Dr. Manjunath Doshetty, director of Chirayu Hospital.

Dr. Doshetty, along with Dr. Mohan Keshavmurthy, urologist from Fortis Hospital, and general surgeon Dr. Basawesh Patil, addressing a joint press conference in Kalaburagi on Saturday (March 14), said Chirayu Hospital, in association with a team of doctors from Fortis Bengaluru, has completed 50 kidney transplantations, marking a significant milestone in renal care services in the region.

The first kidney transplantation at Chirayu Hospital was performed in 2019 on Bhimsingh Chavan from Chittapur taluk, with his wife donating the kidney. Since then, patients from neighbouring regions such as Solapur and even from Bihar have undergone transplantations at the hospital.

Among the other beneficiaries is Dinesh Mandal, a labourer from Bihar, whose kidney transplant was supported through crowdfunding.

Replying to a query, Dr. Doshetty said 42 of the 50 transplants were carried out with kidneys donated by relatives, while eight were from brain-dead donors. Two paediatric kidney transplants were performed at the hospital.

Dr. Doshetty noted that around 600 people develop kidney failure every year in Kalaburagi, while more than 1,000 patients are currently undergoing dialysis at Chirayu Hospital alone. Although dialysis helps sustain life, kidney transplantation offers patients a renewed chance at life and a better quality of living, he said.

The cost of the procedure ranges between ₹7 lakh and ₹12 lakh, and the necessary medical evaluation and documentation usually take about one month, he added.

He also pointed out that 25 transplantations were performed under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, making the procedure accessible to economically weaker sections.

While the Union government has introduced programmes providing free dialysis, the doctors said the government spends substantial resources on dialysis services and should also focus on strengthening kidney transplantation programmes, which are more economical in the long term.

Dr. Keshavmurthy and Dr. Patil emphasised the need to promote organ donation, particularly from brain-dead donors, to help more patients suffering from kidney failure.

Dr. Keshavmurthy said patients from the Kalyana Karnataka region suffering from kidney failure no longer need to travel to cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, or Mumbai, as advanced treatment facilities are now available in Kalaburagi itself.