Manipur Health minister urges to conduct research on rise of kidney disease

Imphal — Manipur’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Sapam Ranjan Singh on Saturday expressed the need to carry out research work on a serious note to find out the reason and causes of increasing kidney diseases in the state.

Singh was speaking at a workshop on strengthening the organ donation and transplantation process at the Conference Hall of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), a state-run health institute in Imphal on Saturday.

“There is a need to coordinate with the major research centres to study minutely the reasons and bring out the possibility of giving awareness to the people on the causes of kidney disease as the kidney transplant patient has risen up numerously,” he said.

Congratulating the doctors of JNIMS team on successfully conducting 25 kidney transplants, he said that it is a boon for the state.

It may be noted that a team of doctors at JNIMS performed the first successful kidney transplantation and second in Northeast India in a government set up on June 18 last year. The team was awarded a cash reward of INR5 lakh by the chief minister for performing the transplantation successfully and the reward money is being utilised as a fund for organ donation only.

 Reminiscing the first successful kidney transplantation that took place at JNIMS, he said the chief minister was elated at the successful renal transplantation in a state government institute at a minimal cost with the commitment and generosity of the team of JNIMS.

‘Chief minister wants to make sure that people get the benefit of CMHT and PM-JAY as the government is committed with a sincere approach to the people,’ he said.

Director(RIMS) Prof. H Priyosakhi Devi; Director(JNIMS)Prof. L Deben; Medical Superintendent(JNIMS) Prof. Kh Lokeshwar Singh; Chairman and managing director (Shija Hospital & Research Institute Pvt. Ltd.)Dr. Palin Khundongbam; Managing Trustee (MOHAN Foundation) Dr. Sunil Shroff were also present during the workshop.

In the day’s workshop, Prof. K Sholay Meitei of Dept. of Urology (JNIMS) also made a presentation on the living kidney transplant programme. A booklet was also released in connection with the workshop on strengthening of organ donation and transplantation process.