Manipal Hospitals Kolkata launches comprehensive transplant centre

Manipal Hospitals Kolkata has launched the Manipal Comprehensive Transplant Centre, a facility offering transplant services for heart, kidney, liver and bone marrow procedures. The centre was launched on the occasion of World Kidney Day.

The transplant centre will bring together specialists, infrastructure and a multidisciplinary clinical approach to provide care covering patient evaluation, transplant surgery, post-transplant recovery and long-term follow-up.

According to the hospital group, the initiative is aimed at expanding transplant capabilities in Eastern India, where demand for organ transplant procedures has been increasing. The centre integrates expertise across cardiology, nephrology, hepatology, urology, oncology and transplant surgery to support organ transplantation services.

During the programme, specialists from the hospital group discussed the transplant landscape and the need for transplant services in the region. Kunal Sarkar, Director and Senior Consultant – Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur Cluster, spoke about heart transplantation in Eastern India.

Dilip Kumar Pahari, Director – Nephrology at Manipal Hospitals EM Bypass, and Upal Sengupta, Director – Team Nephrology and Clinical Lead at Manipal Hospital Dhakuria and Senior Consultant at Manipal Hospitals Broadway, Salt Lake and Mukundapur, discussed the current landscape of kidney transplantation. Rajib De, Consultant and Clinical Lead – Clinical Haematology, Haemato-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant at Manipal Hospital EM Bypass, spoke about developments in bone marrow transplantation in the region.

Highlighting the role of collaborative care in transplant success, Sengupta said, “Kidney transplantation remains the most effective treatment for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. However, the gap between demand and availability of transplants continues to be a major challenge in India. Every year, nearly 2 lakh patients in the country require a kidney transplant, but only around 5,000 to 7,000 procedures are performed. With the launch of the Manipal Comprehensive Transplant Centre, we aim to strengthen multidisciplinary transplant care in Eastern India by bringing together specialists across nephrology, urology, critical care and transplant surgery, ensuring seamless evaluation, surgery and long-term follow-up for patients.”

A panel discussion moderated by Sengupta was also held during the event to discuss challenges and approaches required to strengthen transplant services in the region.

The panel included Arghya Majumdar, Senior Consultant and Advisor – Nephrology, Manipal Hospital Dhakuria; Avinandan Banerjee, Clinical Lead – Manipal Hospital Mukundapur and Senior Consultant – Team Nephrology, Manipal Hospital Broadway, Salt Lake and Dhakuria; Smartya Pulai, Clinical Lead – Manipal Hospitals Salt Lake Cluster and Senior Consultant – Team Nephrology, Manipal Hospitals Dhakuria and Mukundapur; Ranjan Sarkar, Senior Consultant and Advisor – Nephrology, Manipal Hospital Broadway and Salt Lake; Abhay Kumar, Director – Urology and Uro-Oncology at Manipal Hospital EM Bypass and Senior Consultant – Urology at Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur, Broadway and Salt Lake; T. K. Saha, Senior Consultant – Urology and Renal Transplant, Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur Cluster; P. K. Mishra, Senior Consultant – Urology and Renal Transplant, Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur and Dhakuria; Bastab Ghosh, Senior Consultant – Urology, Manipal Hospital Dhakuria; and Rajiv Sinha, Senior Consultant – Paediatric Nephrology (Paediatric Kidney Transplant), Manipal Hospital Mukundapur.

Speaking about the initiative, Ayanabh Debgupta, Regional Director – East, Manipal Hospitals, said, “The launch of the Manipal Comprehensive Transplant Centre marks an important milestone for healthcare in Eastern India. The region has a significant and growing burden of organ failure driven by conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and chronic kidney disease. Across India, the demand for organ transplants far exceeds availability, with tens of thousands of patients currently on transplant waitlists for kidneys, livers and hearts every year, while only a fraction of these procedures are performed. Through this comprehensive centre, we aim to bring together world-class expertise, advanced infrastructure and a multidisciplinary care model to strengthen transplant services in the region, improve patient outcomes and promote greater awareness around organ donation.”

According to the hospital group, the centre is intended to expand transplant medicine services and improve access to organ transplant procedures in Eastern India.