Kidney patients suffer as SCB's transplantation unit is in limbo

Transplantations hit due to staff shortage in nephrology department

- HEMANT KUMAR ROUT @Bhubaneswar

ONCE a pioneer in renal transplantation, SCB medical college and hospital (MCH) in Cuttack is now grappling with a severe crisis, thanks to the apathetic attitude of the Odisha government towards the premier healthcare institution.

SCB MCH was one of the few state-run hospitals to start renal transplantation in the country way back in 2012. A decade later, the transplantation unit is in limbo due to prolonged vacancies in the department of nephrology, which is crucial for both pre and post-operative care of kidney patients.

While the hospital had recorded 194 renal transplantations till 2022, only 14 were conducted in 2023 and nine in 2024. The hospital that was conducting at least two transplants a month until a few years back, has managed to perform only one transplant in last three months.