From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld News Network - Panaji
Panaji, Mar 4: Hundreds of patients affected by kidney ailment in the coastal state are forced to visit Maharashtra for transplant as the lone facility in the State has not been functioning for the last six months and private hospitals not being allowed to conduct operations.
State-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) which is the only facility for kidney transplant is not functioning for more than six months in the absence of a full time nephrologist, a senior official attached to the facility said.
Dr J P Tiwari, head of department (nephrology) of GMC is on two year long leave for the last three months, completely stopping the kidney transplant operations.
State’s only facility has been conducting only three transplants every year in the last five years although 250 new patients with severe kidney ailments warranting dialysis are recorded.
Interestingly, though the state-run facility has not been conducting the transplants, the applications by the private hospitals including Manipal Hospital located at Dona Paula is pending with the Directorate of Health Services.
"There are 1,000 kidney patients who are put on dialysis in different facilities across the State. The rate of survival on dialysis is poor compared to the kidney transplant," Dr Amol Mahaldar, honorary consultant nephrologist at GMC said.
The chance of living with dialysis for over five years is only 30 percent while with kidney transplant it increases up to 75-80 percent, he said, adding that out of existing 1,000 patients in the state, at least 200 can go for the transplant.
"GMC,which is the only licenced facility has been unable to make kidney transplant a regular scheduled surgery and hence remains dependent on the visiting honorary surgeons from Mumbai. If and when transplant surgeries are permitted at Manipal Hospital the initial surgeries will be supervised by mentor team from Bengaluru and it is hoped that soon the transplant programme will be self sufficient," he said.
Mahaldar said the transplant is covered under the state government sponsored medical scheme – Deen Dayal Swasth Seva Yojana – which can it make affordable and accessible to many more patients who cannot travel outside the state, if new facilities are recognised here.