In a big respite for poor patients who are in need of organ transplant, the State government will soon start providing free organ transplants --- heart, liver, and kidney --- for all BPL patients in government and private-empanelled hospitals. A Government Order in this regard was issued early last month.
The government had set aside ₹30 crore for this in the coalition government’s maiden budget. This is a much-needed health facility as organ transplants are not covered under the Arogya Karnataka - Ayushman Bharat.
Most needy patients were unable to afford organ transplants and post-operative treatment, said C.N. Manjunath, Director of Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences.
According to the GO, the government has fixed package rates of ₹2 lakh for kidney transplant, ₹10 lakh for heart transplant, and ₹11 lakh for liver transplant. A sum of ₹1 lakh has been fixed as financial assistance for post-transplant medications.
Dr. Manjunath, who is also a member of Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST), which is the nodal agency for the scheme, said nearly 20 heart, 40 liver, and 125 kidney transplants were done in the State every year.