Patna: The Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) administration has sent a letter to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, expert V. Seenu on July 21 to check the infrastructure for a kidney transplant facility.

The facility would start at the state hospital if Seenu gives green light. Sources said last year the health department had okayed the hospital's proposal for setting up a kidney transplant unit at a cost of Rs 9.2 crore.

"Seenu is abroad. As soon as he comes, we would fix an inspection date. We want to start a kidney transplant facility soon for which we have done a basic preparation," said PMCH superintendent Rajiv Ranjan Prasad.

He added: "For kidney transplant, we require two operation theatres. One for the donor's operation and another for the recipient. We have two OTs in the emergency wing of the hospital, which is attached with an intensive care unit. We are thinking of using it for our kidney transplant unit. The hospital has almost all the necessary instruments for kidney transplant. The rest would be procured by Bihar Medical Services and Infrastructure Corporation Limited (BMSICL), a wing of the health department which buys medicines and equipment for state-run medical college and hospitals. We have also formed a brain death declaration committee while we have decided to get the histopathology and cross-matching tests done through outsourcing like in the IGIMS," said Prasad.

Kidney transplant surgery at the PMCH assumes importance because no money would be charged from patients for the procedure. "We don't charge patients for operations here. Only hospital registration fee would be required to be paid by the patients and in case anyone wants a private cottage, they will have to pay for that," he said.

PMCH is the first government facility in the state where a kidney transplant unit was established (March 31, 1987) but it remains a non-starter.

Sources said earlier the PMCH had requested Seenu to come over to check the infrastructure for kidney transplant. Seenu had visited the PMCH for an inspection in 2016 but during that time the PMCH's preparations for starting a kidney transplant facility was found half equipped.