Max Hospital to help establish it successfully
Irfan Tramboo
Srinagar, Aug 17: Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, is keen to start a much-needed liver transplant program, aiming not only to advance medical services but also to provide these services to patients who would otherwise have to travel outside J&K for such procedures.
In this regard, the Director of SKIMS, Prof. M. Ashraf Ganie, along with other stakeholders, has already held a series of meetings to outline the necessary roadmap for launching the liver transplant program at SKIMS.
While a lot needs to be done, officials told Excelsior that the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology has set a goal of performing at least one liver transplant by the end of this year, provided all logistics and other necessary support are in place.
“As of now, efforts are being made to ensure all prerequisites are met, with the Director of SKIMS doing everything possible to fulfill the requirements. The program will initially start in collaboration with the Centre for Liver and Biliary Sciences (CLBS) at Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, which has expertise in this area and will provide the necessary support to SKIMS,” an official familiar with the developments said.
During a meeting held today in connection with framing a road map for the plan-including a guest liver transplant team from CLBS, Max Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, headed by Prof. Subhash Gupta-the Director of SKIMS assured his full support in acquiring a transplant license and providing the requisite infrastructure to start the program, enhancing patient care.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Gupta, who was a part of the meeting, is among the pioneers of liver transplantation in India and runs one of the highest-volume transplant centers in the country.
Officials further noted that licensing needs to be expedited for the program to start as soon as possible, mentioning that three consultants in the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology are already trained for liver transplants.
“There is also a proposal to train additional personnel from the Department of Anaesthesia and other staff, which will further pave the way for the start of the program at SKIMS, aiming to provide these crucial services without requiring travel outside the region, they said.
With Max Hospital already having assisted nearly 10 public and private hospitals in starting liver transplant programs, SKIMS has also decided that the outside expert team will perform the first few transplants, in addition to providing the necessary logistics and support.
In the meeting, all faculty members and guest faculty emphasized the need for and feasibility of a liver transplant program at SKIMS, with some encouragement and support from the government.
The guest team, officials said, assured their full support in helping to establish a successful transplant program at SKIMS.
“With Max Hospital’s involvement, the liver transplant program at SKIMS will be more successful. The Director is also exploring collaborations with other expert institutions, with the assurance of full support from the Government,” officials noted.
While the Dean of Medical Faculty and the Additional Director of SKIMS are in support of this crucial proposal, it is worth recalling that on World Organ Donation Day, the Director of SKIMS announced the Institute’s plan to start the liver transplant program, and the assistance he would seek from the Government.
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