Pune: In a heartwarming act of love and sacrifice, a woman from Hadapsar donated her kidney to her 52-year-old husband, giving him a second chance at life.

The husband, Sanjay (name changed), had been suffering from kidney failure since 2015, and a transplant was his only option.

Due to the high cost of surgery at private hospitals, Sanjay, who works as a fitter in a private company, could not afford the treatment. However, Sassoon General Hospital offered a much more affordable solution under the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.

On October 9, during the Navratri festival, the surgery was successfully performed, marking the hospital's 33rd kidney transplant. The wife's decision to donate her kidney to her husband broke traditional gender roles and added a deeper significance to the occasion.

Sassoon General Hospital’s transplant surgeries are highly subsidized under the government scheme, which covers the cost of medicines, surgical supplies, and necessary post-operative tests. The couple benefited greatly from this support.

The surgery was conducted by a skilled team of doctors, including urologists Dr. Niranjan Ambekar, Dr. Sandeep Morkhandikar, senior urologist Dr. Suresh Patankar, Dr. Rajesh Shrotri, Dr. Harshad Toshniwal, Dr. Vivek Barekar, and Dr. Danish Kamerkar.

The procedure was performed under the leadership of Dean Dr. Eknath Pawar and Medical Superintendent Dr. Yallappa Jadhav.

The Pediatrics Department at Sassoon General Hospital has been recognized as a 'Center of Excellence in Pediatric Clinical Genetics,' making it the only government hospital in Maharashtra to achieve this distinction.