Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Centre celebrates 1,000 kidney transplants

KATHMANDU:  Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Centre (SDNTC) today organised a programme to celebrate 1,000 kidney transplants. During his welcome address, Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha, Executive Director of the centre, spoke about how the medical sector in Nepal had gone through a transformation whereby people can avail various medical services in the country itself. Dr Shrestha also spoke about the importance of people donating their organs to save people who are in dire need of some organs. He also informed the participants that the centre has been trying to expand its services beyond Kathmandu valley. He mentioned that a transplant centre has been opened in Pokhara and one will soon be opened within two weeks in Surkhet of Karnali Province. There are plans to open such centres in Hetauda, Province 1 and Madhesh Pradesh. The programme was then officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who was chief guest on the occasion. On the occasion, Jhamak Shrestha, who had received a kidney from his father, thanked the centre and the doctors involved in the transplantation. While speaking about his experiences, he also mentioned that it was time for hospitals to have more renal specialists in hospitals outside Kathmandu valley. Similarly, Sushita Thapa Magar, who had received a kidney from a brain dead person, also expressed her happiness and thanked the SDNTC for saving her life. Dr Roshan Pokhrel, Health Secretary and Chairman of the centre, applauded the centre for this milestone. He informed that the government has planned to establish such transplant centres in all seven provinces of the country. He also informed that the Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Centre will also be expanded to include 500 beds. He also stressed the need for more qualified medical doctors in the country. Similarly, Rajendra Prasad Pandey, who is a sitting parliamentarian and Former Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, spoke on the importance of transplantation in saving lives. He also informed how the centre got its name. Pandey also mentioned that he will raise issues related to the medical sector in the parliament. He also apprised Prime Minister Dahal of the land that had been separated for the centre during the prime minister's second tenure had not yet been handed over and hoped that the land would be handed over during this third tenure as prime minister. [caption id="attachment_32680" align="alignnone" width="1269"] Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurates a programme organised by Shahid Dharmabhakta National Transplant Centre (SDNTC) to celebrate 1,000 kidney transplants, in Kathmandu, on Friday, January 20, 2023. Photo: Business360[/caption] While addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Dahal congratulated the centre on achieving the milestone of 1,000 kidney transplants with 99% success rate. He also expressed his gratitude to Dr Shrestha for quitting a successful career in the United Kingdom and coming to Nepal to offer his services. As the executive head of the country, the prime minister said he will now bring a revolution in the medical sector of the country. While talking about the 1,000 kidney transplants that the centre had conducted, the prime minister stated this shows that the country does have skilled human resources. Regarding the land that had been provisioned for the centre, he stated he would hand over the land to the centre as soon as possible. The prime minister also said that now that the country has been quite successful in kidney transplants it is time to look into liver transplants. On the occasion, PM Dahal declared he would donate all his organs upon his death and Dr Shrestha gave him a donor card. Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Population, Padam Giri, said his focus as the minister of health will be to provide access to quality health care to all citizens. He stated that if this cannot be achieved then they will have failed the citizens. Minister Giri also declared he would donate all his organs after his death and the prime minister gave him a donor card. During the programme, a souvenir was also launched by Prime Minister Dahal. The vote of thanks was given by Dr Kalpana Shrestha, Head of Department of Nephrology and Renal Transplant Medicine of the centre. READ ALSO:

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