The Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) and Hospital has become the first government medical college in the State to successfully conduct live kidney transplant and it is ready to take up cadaver transplant.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Friday, KIMS director Ramalingappa Antaratani said through a coordinated effort by the departments of nephrology, urology, and anesthetics, the kidney of a 44-year-old woman had been successfully transplanted to her 22-year-old son.
Free of cost
He said the kidney transplant surgery which cost lakhs of rupees in private hospitals would be carried out free of cost under ABARK scheme for BPL cardholders. “The Government pays 25% of the procedure cost for patients of APL (Above Poverty Line) under ABARK. And the surgery would cost around ₹1.5 lakh for them,” he said adding that with the successful completion of the first kidney transplant, the KIMS team planned to conduct more such transplants in the coming days.
To a query, Dr. Ramalingappa clarified that KIMS was now ready for cadaveric kidney transplant. However the patients would have to follow the procedure of registering with the website ‘www.jeevaasarthakathe.karnataka.gov.in’ for the kidney transplant. But in cases where close family members come forward to donate kidney, they could approach KIMS directly, he said.
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