Dr TP Lahane, who received a kidney from his mother 15 years ago at the state-run hospital he now heads, rebooted its transplant facility whose first two transplants were from mothers to sons as well

The dean of JJ Hospital, Dr T P Lahane, was anxious to restart the kidney transplant procedure at the hospital. And after the revived facility performed its second transplant procedure on Saturday, he fondly remembered his mother.

He does that every time a patient at the hospital undergoes the procedure. Lahane had received a kidney from his mother in 1995 in the same hospital that he heads now.


Dr T P Lahane

The state-run hospital's kidney transplant facility had been shut for close to 11 months because doctors who could perform such transplants were not available.

It was restored recently in December, after Dr M Bahadur, agreed to perform the procedures in an honorary capacity.

Lahane, effusive with nostalgia, gratitude, and a sense of accomplishment, said, "I know the importance of a transplant.

So I was keen on restarting this facility here. We have already done two transplants since December and have another transplant scheduled this month. Many poor people will benefit because these surgeries cost a lot in private hospitals."

He added that the hospital hunted for experts before they could resume the transplant surgery. "Just to restart the facility, we made several fresh appointments," Lahane said.

The facility has already performed two procedures until now. Both involved mothers who donated kidneys to their sons.

The hospital performed its second transplant on a 36-year-old father of five, who received a kidney from his mother on Saturday.

The Sayeeds, who travelled 500 km to get the family's only earning member, Abdul Satar, a functional kidney, were grateful to the hospital for reinstituting the procedure.

A fortnight ago Bedse (34), a farmer from Beed, had received a kidney from his 65-year-old mother, Hirkan.