Kathmandu, August 17

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, is preparing to launch liver transplant service by February, next year.

The Ministry of Health has already released Rs 110 million to the hospital for the development of necessary infrastructure. The hospital is ready with surgeons and necessary human resources, according to Dr Deepak Mahara, executive director, TUTH.

“We need special anesthetists for critical care, radiologists and highly skillful surgeons for liver transplantation. Special intensive care unit and post operative care units are also necessary for liver transplantation. As we have necessary human resources, we are developing necessary infrastructure required for the purpose,” added Mahara.

The Japanese government has pledged to provide medical equipment to the hospital. Officials said Human Organ Transplantation Regulation-2073 had paved the way for liver transplantation in the country.

The new law allows receiving of eight organs such as kidneys, lungs, heart, liver, pancreas, small intestine as well as corneas and skin from a brain dead person.

According to an estimate, approximately 3,000 people suffer from kidney failure, 1,000 from liver failure and about three million suffer from diabetes, as well as numerous heart and lung diseases in Nepal.