Gandhinagar: In a concerning development, 82 patients have died in the past two years following kidney and liver transplants at the Kidney Institute within the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital campus. This information was revealed during the question period in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, prompting opposition lawmakers to raise serious concerns. They highlighted the high mortality rate, particularly the 54 deaths out of 140 liver transplant cases. According to the Minister, between January 31, 2023, and January 31, 2025, 848 kidney transplants and 140 liver transplants were performed at the Ahmedabad Civil campus. Of these, 28 kidney transplant patients and 54 liver transplant patients died.

In response to the opposition’s concerns, the Health Minister stated that the State Organ Tissue and Transplant Organization (SOTTO) has formed a review committee to investigate the causes of these deaths. The Minister, Rishikesh Patel, assured the Assembly that the organ transplant process is being conducted transparently.

The Health Minister cited several potential causes for the post-transplant deaths, including pneumonia, septicemia, primary graft dysfunction, infections from liver donors, gall bladder stones, tuberculosis, cancer attacks, and other complications. SOTTO has been operational since 2019 to streamline the organ transplant process, including monitoring and management. The Minister also addressed concerns about a non-operational laboratory for organ transplants and stem cells at the Civil campus, assuring that it would be made functional soon. DeshGujarat