The Paschimanchal Regional Hospital under the Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS) has conducted kidney transplantation for the first time. The kidney transplantation was conducted on a 53-year-old woman from Annapurna Rural Municipality in the district on Thursday. She was donated the organ by her husband.

It took four hours for a team of specialist doctors to transplant the kidney. The Hospital has however maintained the names of the organ donor and recipient anonymous.

Executive Director at PAHS, Prof Dr Bharat Bahadur Khatri shared the happiness that kidney transplantation was conducted successfully with the cooperation of Martyr Dharmabhakta National Transplantation Centre, Bhaktapur and the Academy. Centre’s Dr Pukar Chandra Shrestha and PAHS’ Dr Prakash Chhetri, Dr Anup Chapagain, Dr Maya Lama, Dr Juju Shrestha and Dr Amrit KC involved in the organ transplantation.

Earlier, the kidney patients from Pokhara city and Gandaki Province had to visit federal capital, Kathmandu, for the transplantation.

The PAHS had got permission from the Human Organ Transplantation Coordination Secretariat under the Health Service Department on June 17, according to Information Officer, Suman Bhattarai. The PAHS had made agreement with the Martyr Dharmabhakta National Transplantation Centre for its role to provide necessary human resources to conduct the transplantation.

The Hospital has said entire cost of the operation was free. Expansion of this new service has been planned by the Hospital. It is said there are around 500 kidney patients receiving dialyses service every day in Pokhara.