SRN Hospital Begins Preparations for Kidney Transplants Amid Skepticism Over Past Failures
Swaroop Rani Nehru (SRN) Hospital, the largest government medical facility in Prayagraj division, has officially begun preparations for kidney transplant surgeries—a landmark step in its medical services that promises free, life-saving treatment to patients who otherwise struggle to afford the exorbitant costs of private hospitals.
On Wednesday, after receiving government approval, senior doctors inspected the newly prepared Kidney Transplant Theater housed in the PMSSY Building of the hospital.
With this, SRN is now technically ready to begin performing kidney transplants, potentially serving hundreds of patients in Prayagraj and surrounding districts.
Yet, while the announcement has generated excitement, it has also stirred cautious skepticism. Past experiences at SRN reveal a troubling pattern: ambitious upgrades and procurement of advanced medical equipment that later fell into disuse.
Many machines worth crores of rupees gradually turned into junk due to poor maintenance and a lack of accountability.
Several well-intentioned initiatives fizzled out because those responsible for sustaining them showed little interest, leaving patients no option but to rely on hundreds of costly private nursing homes scattered across the city.
The reality is grim: countless families in Prayagraj and adjoining districts have faced financial ruin to afford medical care.
People have been forced to borrow money from private lenders at crushing interest rates, and in heartbreaking cases, families have sold their prime agricultural land just to finance critical treatments.
Despite the presence of SRN—a government hospital meant to serve as a lifeline—the poor and middle class have often found themselves at the mercy of private institutions.
Against this backdrop, the promise of free kidney transplants at SRN sounds like a breakthrough, but the big question remains: Will this initiative be genuinely sustained or fade like earlier projects?
Dr. Arvind Gupta, Head of the Nephrology Department at Motilal Nehru Medical College, explained the process of registering patients, verifying donors, and scheduling transplants, ensuring legal and medical scrutiny.
According to him, 20–25 patients in Prayagraj require kidney transplants every month, but until now, they were forced to seek treatment in distant cities at a cost of ₹10–12 lakh in private hospitals.
The scheme promises that such transplants will be done entirely free of cost, offering hope to families who would otherwise face unbearable financial stress.
For those with living donors, the process can be planned, while others without donors will be placed on a waiting list for cadaveric donations.
Still, given SRN’s checkered past, many in the city remain watchful.
Will the infrastructure be properly maintained this time? Will accountability be ensured? Or will this initiative too become another half-hearted experiment?
The answers will determine whether this much-hyped service truly transforms Prayagraj into a center for advanced medical care—or merely becomes another broken promise in the long list of disappointments.
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