PGI to soon restart organ transplant: Director

Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences will soon restart organ transplants that were halted temporarily due to the Covid-19 outbreak, director of the institute said.

“However, now the aim of PGI administration is to develop the institute as the prime centre of organ transplant and donation in the country,” said director PGI professor Radha Krishna Dhiman.

He said, “Before coming to Lucknow as director of PGI I was active in Regional Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (ROTTO), Chandigarh which emerged as one of the top organ transplant centres of North India. Now, I want to develop PGI on the same lines and that’s why we have formed the State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation on the pattern of ROTTO.”

He said, “We have the blueprint ready. I want to see SGPGIMS among main centres when it comes to organ transplants, especially cadaver

transplant. The institute would focus on saving lives along with concentrating on breakthrough research. There would be an effort on speeding up the research in the area of organ transplant in the institute.”

Prof Dhiman said in Chandigarh there was a system in place where other departments would coordinate with each other effectively when it came to cadaver transplants.

“Departments like police, transport, municipal corporation will have to coordinate with PGI in identifying brain dead people after road accidents so that their organs could be used for cadaver transplant. Presently, only Kidney transplants are taking place in the institute, despite having all the faculty and facilities for the same,” he said.

Professor Dhiman said, “Had the corona not invaded the city, we would have surely taken a big leap in organ transplant till now but I am hopeful that our transplants would begin soon. With this anyone from Uttar Pradesh will not have to go out of the state for liver, kidney and tissue transplant.”

Professor Dhiman said, “PGI has the best doctors, surgeons along with most advanced operation theatres, gadgets and medical knowhow. We have a huge building exclusively for organ transplant equipped with modern life saving equipment required for transplant surgeries which goes on for hours.”