Pictures by Bibhash Lodh/BS News Agency.
Sanchita Chatterjee, BS News Agency, Kolkata, March 12, 2026: Manipal Hospitals has launched Manipal Comprehensive Transplant Centre in Kolkata to enhance the availability of advanced organ transplant services in Eastern India. Inaugurated on the occasion of World Kidney Day, the specialised centre will provide integrated services for heart, kidney, liver and bone marrow transplants. State-of-the-art infrastructure, experienced specialist doctors and a multidisciplinary approach to patient assessment, surgery, post-transplant care and long-term follow-up will be available here.
The launch of this centre is a significant step towards enhancing the capacity of organ transplant services in Eastern India. As the need for advanced organ transplant treatment in this region is increasing day by day. The initiative aims to build a strong transplant ecosystem by bringing together experts in cardiology, nephrology, hepatology, urology, oncology and transplant surgery.
During the event, eminent experts from the hospital group shared their views on the current transplant scenario and the growing need for specialized transplant services in the region. Speaking on the current trends in transplant, Dr. Kunal Sarkar, Director & Senior Consultant – Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery, Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur Cluster, highlighted the current scenario of heart transplant in East India. On the other hand, Dr. Dilip Kumar Pahari, Director – Nephrology, Manipal Hospitals EM Bypass and Dr. Upal Sengupta, Director – Team Nephrology & Clinical Lead, Manipal Hospitals Dhakuria and Senior Consultant – Manipal Hospitals Broadway, Salt Lake and Mukundapur, discussed the current scenario of kidney transplant. In addition, Prof. (Dr.) Rajiv Dey, Consultant and Clinical Lead – Clinical Hematology, Hemato-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT), Manipal Hospital EM Bypass, shared his views on the progress and current status of bone marrow transplant in the region.
Highlighting the importance of integrated services in transplant treatment, Dr. Upal Sengupta said, “Kidney transplant is the most effective treatment for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, there is still a huge gap between the demand and availability of transplants in India. Every year, about two lakh patients in the country require kidney transplants, but in reality, only five to seven thousand transplants are possible. Through Manipal Comprehensive Transplant Centre, we want to further strengthen multidisciplinary transplant services in Eastern India, where experts from nephrology, urology, critical care and transplant surgery will work together to ensure seamless services for patients, from assessment to surgery and long-term follow-up.”