Pune: Sassoon General Hospital in Pune has once again demonstrated its commitment to providing life-saving medical care at an affordable cost.
Recently, the hospital successfully performed a kidney transplant surgery for a 52-year-old patient from Hadapsar at a fraction of the price charged by private hospitals.
In private facilities, such surgeries typically cost over ₹10 lakh, but at Sassoon, the operation was completed for approximately ₹3 lakh.
Moreover, the patient was able to reduce his expenses even further by benefiting from the Mahatma Jotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana, a government health scheme that covers costs related to medicines, injections, surgical equipment, and post-surgery tests.
The patient, who had been suffering from kidney disease since 2015, works as a fitter in a private company. When his kidneys failed, doctors recommended a transplant. His wife volunteered to donate one of her kidneys, but financial constraints led them to seek treatment at Sassoon General Hospital.
Under the supervision of nephrologists, the necessary medical tests were conducted on both the patient and his wife.
Sassoon’s medical social worker, Satyawan Suravase, prepared and submitted the organ donation proposal to the regional human organ transplant committee. Upon receiving approval, the surgery was carried out successfully on October 9.
The surgical team, led by Dr. Niranjan Ambekar and consisting of Dr. Sandeep Morhandikar, Dr. Suresh Patankar, Dr. Rajesh Shrotri, Dr. Harshad Toshniwal, Dr. Vivek Barekar, and Dr. Danish Kamerkar, ensured a smooth and successful operation.
Sassoon General Hospital has become a beacon of hope for patients requiring complex transplant surgeries but who cannot afford the high costs of private hospitals.
The Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana has made it possible for many such patients to receive life-saving treatments with minimal financial burden. In some cases, social organizations also step in to further reduce costs. Patients are even provided with free medications for one year after their transplant through this scheme.
Dr. Eknath Pawar, Dean of Sassoon General Hospital, encourages needy patients to reach out to the hospital for affordable kidney and liver transplant surgeries, emphasizing that government schemes have made these procedures accessible to many.