SSKM Gets Clearance for Heart Transplants, Awaits Lung Transplant License

SSKM Hospital has received the Health department’s nod to conduct heart transplants and is awaiting the same for lung transplants. According to sources in the Health department, the hospital is expected to get the lung transplant licence as well within the next couple of weeks and will be the first government-run hospital in the state to get clearance for lung transplants. A senior official of SSKM said: “We have witnessed heart transplants in a government hospital but the idea of lung transplants is not only new in the city but also in the entire Eastern region.” It may be mentioned that Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) is the first state-run hospital in the state to obtain clearance to perform heart transplants. SSKM comes second in this case. But in case of lung transplants, SSKM will be the first. CMCH has already conducted two heart transplants. But no government hospital has the permission for lung transplants.

“Infrastructure has been built up at the Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery (CTVS) department in SSKM. All the pre-requisite parameters have been fulfilled. A separate post-operative room has been set up as well. The idea of lung transplants is at a very early stage in the country. Some acute COPD patients often need to undergo lung transplants. Children with Cystic fibrosis also require lung transplants,” a senior official of the SSKM Hospital on Monday said. It was learnt that SSKM had applied for both heart and lung transplant licences in August 2018 and submitted a detailed project report to Swasthya Bhawan. A survey was carried out in this regard considering various aspects. Senior officials of the state Health department visited the hospital for assessing the infrastructure of the hospital. – Millennium Post