District govt hospital in Kerala achieves landmark kidney transplant

Kochi: A district-level government hospital in Kerala accomplished a historic feat by successfully conducting kidney transplant surgery, which, according to the state government, is a first-of-its-kind achievement in India.

In a statement, the state health department said that the surgery was performed at General Hospital, Ernakulam on Sunday.

A 50-year-old mother donated her kidney to her 28-year-old son, and both are reported to be recovering well since the surgery.

Taking pride in the milestone achieved in the southern state's public health infrastructure, the state government claims that this marks the first time an organ transplant surgery has been performed at a district-level government hospital in India.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated the doctors and staff, saying that this achievement will serve as an inspiration to further modernise the state's public health institutions.

"Kerala's public health sector has achieved another milestone with a kidney transplant at Ernakulam General Hospital. This is the first time that an organ transplant surgery has been performed at a district-level government hospital in India. Congratulations to the team behind this remarkable feat," Vijayan posted on 'X'.

The health department said that the Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (K-SOTTO) recently granted registration and certification to the general hospital.

The surgery took place in the super-specialty block, where modern facilities worth over Rs 50 lakh were arranged.