ITANAGAR — Arunachal Pradesh has performed its first kidney transplant at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), Naharlagun, with a joint medical team from the state and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), New Delhi, carrying out the procedure.
The kidney was donated by the patient’s elder sister. Both the donor and recipient were reported stable after the surgery.
The procedure followed three years of collaboration between TRIHMS and SGRH, with Arunachal doctors and nurses undergoing specialised training at the Delhi hospital.
TRIHMS had already established a Centre of Excellence for Renal Science and Transplantation in 2023 in collaboration with SGRH, covering nephrology and urology services as the institute prepared for renal transplantation.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the state had been working with SGRH to build the expertise required for kidney transplantation.
“TRIHMS was established in 2018 and has since undergone many transformations. We have been coordinating with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital for the past three years to achieve this milestone,” Khandu said.
He thanked SGRH authorities, particularly Dr Harsha Jauhari and his team, for their technical support and training of TRIHMS personnel.
Health Secretary Vivek H P said the transplant programme would initially focus on procedures suited to TRIHMS’s existing capacity, with further training continuing as the hospital builds its transplant team.
The state government has also raised financial assistance for major transplant procedures under its healthcare programme.
Support for kidney transplantation has increased from ₹10 lakh to ₹12.5 lakh, while assistance for bone marrow transplantation has risen from ₹15 lakh to ₹17.5 lakh and liver transplantation from ₹20 lakh to ₹22.5 lakh.
Khandu has asked SGRH to continue supporting TRIHMS as its transplant team gains experience. The state is also preparing to expand kidney and liver transplant services at the institute. The first transplant places TRIHMS among the state institutions handling procedures that previously required Arunachal patients to travel to major hospitals outside the state.
