New Delhi / Imphal: The Institute of National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (NOTTO) recognized Manipur as the Best Emerging State in the field of Organ Transplantation in Northeast India.

The award was presented during the 14th Indian Organ Donation Day event, organized by NOTTO under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday in New Delhi.  Dr. Sanahanbi Devi, Director of Health Services, Manipur, along with her team, received the prestigious award.

Manipur boasts several hospitals, including both government and private institutions, that are equipped to perform organ transplants. The Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) became the first government hospital in the state to conduct an organ transplant, achieving its first living donor kidney transplant in June 2022.

These transplants were carried out under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) package. JNIMS also marked a significant milestone by performing the first deceased organ donation in Northeast in August 2023.

Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI), a private hospital in the state, has performed 109 kidney transplants to date.

This includes the first living donor kidney transplant in August 2016 and the first deceased donor transplant in Northeast India in August 2023. Additionally, SHRI successfully performed the first ABO-incompatible (ABOI) kidney transplant in the region.

Manipur also supports state-sponsored organ transplant programs, such as the Chief Minister’s Health Scheme, which provides financial assistance for kidney transplants to people below the poverty line.

The scheme covers the entire cost of donor organ retrieval surgery and offers financial support of up to ?5 lakh per year per family. The coverage ranges from 76% to 100% of the total expenses incurred.