Opportunities and challenges for thoracic organ transplantation in government institutions

The first successful heart transplant in India was performed by Panangipalli Venugopal on 3 August 1994 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. Twenty-five years later, only seven government institutions are performing heart transplants and only one government hospital has an established heart transplant program in India. Only one lung transplant has been performed in a government institution all over the country. This article reviews the history and current status of thoracic organ transplant in India. The authors discuss the factors responsible for the dismal progress of thoracic organ transplant in government hospitals, opportunities available in government institutions for widening the scope of transplant program, and the steps taken by the Government of India to improve healthcare in the country.