Kathmandu, December 17:

Bir Hospital doctors successfully transplanted kidneys of two patients on December 12.

Suchit Bhattarai, 29, and Dawa Tamang, 32, underwent the transplantation after Bhattarai’s mother and Tamang’s brother donated the kidneys. Both the kidneys were functioning normally, said the doctors credited with the transplantation during a press conference organised today.

Dr Damodar Pokharel, chief, surgical department, Bir Hospital said four years ago the hospital had failed in its bid to transplant kidney, but this time expertise, well-equipped transplant unit and resources made the transplantation possible.

According to the hospital team, donors for both the patients have fully recuperated and had already been discharged from the hospital, while the patients were totally out of

danger after the five-day intensive observation.

The cost of the transplantation totalled Rs 2.5 lakhs. However, the patients who got their kidneys transplanted will still have to take medicines that cost up to Rs 15,000 per month throughout their lives.

Dr Rajni Hada of Bir Nephrology Unit said the transplantation was a complex process and the hospital had planned to conduct a minimum of one transplantation per week from now on.

As per the law, only blood relatives and immediate family members are allowed to donate kidneys. The donors should also have the same blood group as that of the receiver and should be free from diseases like kidney stone and diabetes.

Doctors say more than 2,700 Nepalis are in their last stage of total kidney failure. They either

need haemodialysis or kidney transplantation.

Up to 2,700 people in the country develop kidney problems every year. In Bir Hospital alone up to 180 new patients with kidney failure come for treatment every year.

Kidneys, which are roughly the size of two fists, are located deep in our abdomen, beneath our rib cage. They remove toxins and excess water from our blood. Every day our kidneys filter and clean 200 litres of blood.

Despite being the first hospital to risk kidney transplantation, the failed transplantation deferred the project, denying them of being the first hospital in the country to begin successful transplantation.

Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in August became the first hospital to successfully transplant

the kidneys.