RIMS Imphal scripts history by successfully performing kidney transplant

IMPHAL — The Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, scripted history this month by successfully performing kidney transplant on two patients. It was the second time that a kidney transplant was carried out in a government hospital in Manipur.

In June 2022, the state-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Imphal scripted history by successfully conducting the first kidney transplant in the state (second in North-East India) on three patients.

Terming it a “landmark achievement,” Director of RIMS, Prof G Sunilkumar, on Monday (August 19) said the operation was successfully conducted on a 39-year-old male on August 8, followed by another 50-year-old man on the following day.

A 23-year old younger brother was donor for the first operation, while 49-year-old wife was the donor for the second patient. It took about 6-7 hours of operation with support from urologists and anaesthetists from other government hospitals, the Director said.

The cost of the operation at RIMS was about INR 5 lakh but the families of the patients practically spent only about INR 3 lakh as the remaining amount was supported by the health cards including CMHT (a state health card), he said, adding that the institute had already started preparatory works including legal obligation etc. for the organ transplantation initiatives more than a year ago.

When asked about the institute’s failure to make it to the top 50 medical Institutions and Universities of India unlike the previous years, Sunilkumar said necessary steps are to regain the status.

RIMS was the only medical college in the entire Northeast and West Bengal to figure amongst the top 40 medical Institutions and Universities of India in National Institutional Ranking Framework of Human Resource Development ranking 2019-20.

The healthcare facility, which had started open heart surgery, attends to about 3000 OPD patients daily, RIMS Medical Superintendent Dr. N Sanjib said while responding to a query.

So far, RIMS has produced 3,656 doctors, 2,225 specialists, 67 clinical psychologists and 199 Bachelor of Dental Surgery doctors besides 376 BSc nursing since its establishment in 1972.