Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s premier children’s hospital, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics, popularly known as Sishubhawan in Cuttack, plans to launch a dedicated paediatric kidney transplant programme.The move is expected to significantly improve treatment options for children with severe kidney disorders.Hospital superintendent Dr Pravakar Mishra has submitted a related proposal to the health and family welfare department. He said the institute already has most of the requisite infrastructure and specialist support services, but dedicated training of manpower is needed before the transplant facility can become operational. Sishubhawan authorities said the institute has witnessed a growing number of children with chronic kidney diseases and end-stage renal diseases. Many of them have to travel outside Odisha for kidney transplantation, forcing a heavy financial and emotional burden on families. Sishubhawan houses Odisha’s only dedicated division of paediatric nephrology and a specialised paediatric haemodialysis unit. The 14-bed unit offers advanced services such as kidney biopsy, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, haemodialysis, continuous renal replacement therapy and therapeutic plasmapheresis. Plans are underway to expand it into a 30-bed dedicated ward with a specialised paediatric nephrology intensive care unit. According to the proposal, the institute is well placed to start the transplant programme because of the availability of supporting departments, including paediatric surgery, paediatric anaesthesia, pathology, biochemistry and critical care. Three modular operation theatres have also been installed in the new hospital building.“Establishing a paediatric kidney transplant programme would be a major milestone in child healthcare in Odisha. It will provide advanced renal replacement therapy within the state and reduce dependence on referral centres outside Odisha,” Mishra said.Officials said the proposed programme would offer comprehensive services, including pre-transplant evaluation, living donor transplantation, post-operative care, long-term graft monitoring and psychosocial support. If approved, the facility will be the first-of-its-kind in Odisha and could emerge as a referral centre for paediatric kidney transplantation in eastern India, Mishra added.The institute’s new centrally air-conditioned seven-storey hospital building was inaugurated on April 11, 2025. The govt has increased its bed strength from 422 to 846 to meet the growing demand from children referred from different districts and neighbouring states. The govt has also sanctioned 59 new faculty and doctor posts in different categories at the hospital. In addition, 556 posts of nursing officers, a radiographer’s post and seven medical laboratory technician posts have been sanctioned. Another 25 paramedic and 114 administrative posts have been created to support the institute’s expanded services.“ICU beds at Sishubhawan will also be raised from 50 to 128. These infrastructure and manpower additions would help in setting up the paediatric kidney transplant unit,” Mishra said.
