A Doctor’s Important Note On Actual Cost Of Kidney Transplant (Image:Facebook/shabeermohammed)
You might have heard that Kidney Transplant Surgery is a life-saving procedure for individuals with end-stage kidney disease. However, the cost of this surgery can be prohibitively expensive which has left many in the lurch struggling to make ends meet.
Recently, a Facebook post by Dr Shabeer Mohammed, a medical officer working at the Taluka Hospital in Kayamkulam, Kerala and a member of the Kerala Health Department shed light on the actual cost of kidney transplant surgery highlighting the plight of a young man in need of a kidney transplant, with an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh.
But is this estimate accurate?
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He wrote that he came across many posters claiming that a man needs Rs 25 lakh for a kidney transplant. However, according to Dr Shabeer Mohammed, the actual cost of kidney transplant surgery at Kottayam Medical College is approximately Rs 2 lakh.
Additionally, the cost of tests for the kidney donor and recipient is around Rs 1 lakh, and the cost of living near the medical college after surgery is another Rs 1 lakh. This brings the total cost to around Rs 4 lakh. Furthermore, the cost of medicines for a year after surgery is estimated to be around Rs 2 lakh, making the total cost for the first year around Rs 6 lakh.
He also stressed that almost all government medical colleges offer kidney transplant surgery at similar rates.
In fact, Dr Shabeer’s note highlights that transplant surgeries are performed every week at Kottayam Medical College, with zero waiting time. The only delay is in completing the necessary tests, he added.
So, why do many patients still opt for private hospitals, which can charge anywhere from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 12 lakh for the surgery?
He said that the reasons can be varied, ranging from status and luxury to the perception of better care in branded hospitals.
In reality, the cost of kidney transplant surgery in India can range from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, depending on the hospital and the type of surgery. Some private hospitals may even charge up to Rs 17 lakh for minimally invasive surgery.
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“Many private hospitals buy operation packages for kidney transplants ranging from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 12 lakh. I was once approached by a committee collecting funds for a kidney patient in my hometown. I explained to them the rate difference in hospitals. However, a few days later, I found out that the committee had decided to go ahead with the transplant at the hospital with the highest rate,” he said.
The truth is that many people who contribute a share of their meagre income to save their fellow beings are unaware of this. The value of good deeds also depends on how many crores are collected. Every single rupee collected smells of sweat. So, be cautious, He warned.
If any family member – father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, wife, or husband – is willing to donate a kidney, a transplant can be done at a low cost at government medical colleges,” Dr Shabeer Mohammed added.
