Nagpur: Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur, is set to become Maharashtra’s pioneering government hospital to provide free heart and liver transplants. The State Government has approved GMCH’s proposal to establish heart and liver transplant centres, and the hospital has sought further permissions from competent authorities to commence these surgeries at its auxiliary unit, Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), according to a media report.
No other government hospital in Maharashtra currently offers heart or liver transplant facilities, marking this development as a significant milestone for Nagpur. “It will be a big achievement for Nagpur,” stated Medical Superintendent Dr. Avinash Gawande.
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GMCH Dean Dr. Raj Gajbhiye expressed confidence in the imminent commencement of these high-end surgeries. “These transplants are likely to start in the next two months. We have sought permissions from State and Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisations. We have purchased the required instruments and also formed a heart transplant committee,” he said. Dr. Gajbhiye was speaking during a press conference ahead of National Organ Donation Day awareness programs, scheduled to be held at GMCH on August 3.
Dr. Gajbhiye emphasized that the surgeries would be free of cost, regardless of the patient’s income group. “Being a government setup, patients don’t incur fees for surgeons, anaesthetists, OT, etc. The institution will also provide the requisite medicines,” he added.
Heart transplant surgeries will be performed by the existing cardiovascular thoracic surgery team at GMCH, while new appointments will be made for liver transplants. SSH has a history of performing kidney transplants, and there has been a longstanding need for heart and liver transplant surgeries in the region.
A few private hospitals in Nagpur have permission to perform heart transplants, but these high-risk surgeries typically cost around Rs 30-40 lakh in private facilities. By offering these transplants for free, GMCH aims to provide life-saving procedures to patients who might not otherwise afford them.
This initiative by GMCH Nagpur is set to not only enhance the medical capabilities of the hospital but also significantly benefit patients across the state, providing critical surgeries at no cost.
