Tripura 12 November, 2024: Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital has successfully completed two consecutive kidney transplants in the state. The second kidney transplant was successfully performed yesterday, following the first on July 8, 2024, in the state. This milestone in medical treatment has been made possible through the dedicated efforts of Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha.
At a press conference held today at Agartala Government Medical College, it was announced that Dr. Shubhadip Acharya, aged 28, underwent this successful kidney transplant. A graduate from Agartala Government Medical College, Dr. Acharya was working in a hospital outside the state when he recently became unwell. Initial blood tests revealed kidney issues, and further advanced tests confirmed that both of his kidneys had failed. His doctors informed him that a kidney transplant was his only option.
Initially, Dr. Acharya planned to undergo the transplant outside the state. However, learning of the recent success of the first kidney transplant in the state and considering the cost and other challenges of out-of-state treatment, he decided to pursue the procedure in Agartala. After contacting the authorities at Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital, he began necessary tests and preparation under the supervision of the hospital’s kidney transplant specialists from August. Fortunately, a generous well-wisher volunteered to donate a kidney for him. Finally, on November 11, 2024, his kidney transplant was successfully completed.
The transplant team at Agartala included consultant urologist and transplant surgeon Dr. Bijit Lodh and Dr. Mukut Debnath, consultant nephrologist Dr. Manas Gop and Dr. Samaresh Pal, and consultant anesthetists Dr. Bhaskar Majumdar, Dr. Anupam Chakraborty, and Tapan Debbarman. The team from Manipur’s Shija Hospitals & Research Institute Pvt. Ltd. comprised consultant urologist and transplant surgeon Dr. Soumorendra Pounam, Dr. Maharabam Mahili, consultant anesthetist Dr. Dinesh Thouonoujam, and Dr. Dashprakash. State coordinator Nursing Officer Himadri Kar, OT nurses Gautam Biswas, Deeptanu Sutradhar, Kishan Dev, Sutapa Das, floor nurses Prosenjit Mahajan and Piyali Chakraborty, and OT technicians Ratanmani Debbarman and Sunny Das provided support. Senior Nursing Officer Tripti Chakraborty oversaw the entire process.
Currently, both the donor and recipient are in stable health. The patient’s creatinine level, which was 9 mg/dL before surgery, has now reduced to 2.1 mg/dL, showing significant improvement. He will remain under hospital observation for about ten more days, as stated at the press conference.
Shija Hospital extended its support in this procedure. The hospital aims to enable the doctors at GBP Hospital to independently perform similar procedures in the future. According to GBP Hospital Superintendent Dr. Shankar Chakraborty, no cost was incurred by the patient for the transplant. Both the first and second kidney transplants were conducted free of charge, with the state government covering costs of approximately six lakhs INR per surgery. Shija Hospital received an honorarium of 1.5 lakhs INR per procedure, along with accommodations and travel arrangements for its team. The state Health and Family Welfare Department will bear the costs of tests that could not be conducted locally. Shija Hospital’s team also shared their experience of retrieving kidneys from four brain-dead donors.
The press conference emphasized that the increase in posthumous organ and body donations could provide immense benefits to patients in the state. The hospital urged the public to consider organ donation, particularly from brain-dead patients, to assist more kidney patients in need. The transplant procedure’s success involved active support from departments like Public Works and Power. The first successful kidney recipient was Shubham Sutradhar, followed by Dr. Shubhadip Acharya. Where out-of-state kidney transplants generally cost 15 to 20 lakhs INR, local patients now benefit from free kidney transplants in the state.
The patient’s family expressed gratitude and appreciation for the state government’s initiative. Under an agreement, the state government will work with Shija Medical College & Research Center for kidney transplants for the next five years, enabling local specialists to develop expertise in transplant procedures through collaboration with Shija’s team.
Today’s press conference was attended by Agartala Government Medical College and GBP Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Shankar Chakraborty, Principal Professor (Dr.) Anup Kumar Saha, Vice Principal Professor (Dr.) Tapan Majumdar, Dr. Bijit Lodh, Dr. Manas Gop, Dr. Soumorendra Pounam, Deputy Director Geodon Malsom, and Head of Surgery Department Dr. Maniranjan Debbarman, among others.
