Liver transplant at IGIMS from September

PATNA: The Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) would start liver transplant from next month, said state health minister Mangal Pandey on Tuesday after inaugurating the six-bed intensive care unit (ICU) for the transplant at the hospital. The operation would cost a patient Rs15 lakh.

“Patients will need to undergo a 16-hour surgery. They will also be required to stay in the ICU for the next 30 days after the transplant. All in-house patient facilities, including healthcare givers, will be present to address a patient’s needs,” IGIMS medical superintendent Dr Manish Mandal said and added that the operation theatre for the transplant is directly connected to the ICU so that patients are not exposed to any infection.

A new virology lab was also inaugurated at the hospital on Tuesday. “Now, no blood samples will have to be sent outside the state for lab test for viruses such as meningitis, Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and also Hepatitis F. The equipment are the best in the state,” Dr Mandal said.

The private ward at the hospital has also been renovated. Out of the 60 rooms, 32 are AC rooms, 24 are non-AC and four are deluxe rooms. “The deluxe rooms have television with DTH connection, fridge and AC along with water purifiers,” he added.

The minister also inaugurated a transition zone where patients from emergency wards would be shifted once they are stable. “The zone has 30 beds. Earlier, patients were discharged straight from the emergency, thus keeping the beds occupied even if he or she no longer needed emergency care,” Dr Mandal said.

A paediatric intensive care unit was also inaugurated on this occasion. The unit has six beds where children from one month to 14 years would undergo treatment. The number of beds in the IGIMS’s eye department also increased from 18 to 40 on Tuesday.