Is Tripura Government Preparing for Heart Transplants in State Hospitals?

Agartala, Aug 1 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Tripura, Manik Saha, announced on Friday that the state administration is making plans to perform heart transplants at the Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital. Discussions with AIIMS are currently in progress, and a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the Mohan Foundation.

During his speech at the 21st Foundation Day of AGMC and GB Pant Hospital, he shared that there are also plans to introduce super-specialty courses at these institutions.

“Many individuals have dedicated themselves to the success of AGMC and GB Pant Hospital. Today, we honor their efforts. Agartala Government Medical College holds a distinguished position in the nation. We are committed to rectifying the challenges faced by students,” Saha stated.

He noted that previously, there were limited MBBS seats in Tripura's medical colleges; however, the current capacity has expanded to approximately 400 seats across three institutions: AGMC, Tripura Medical College (TMC), and Tripura Santiniketan Medical College (TSMC), a private entity. The TMC operates under a society established by the state government.

“Earlier, there was just one seat for BDS. Now, we have a Government Dental College that began with 50 seats, which has now grown to 63 seats. We aim to further enhance the capacity at AGMC. For the academic year 2025–26, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 150 seats, with 118 designated for Tripura students, 22 for central government nominees, and 10 for the Northeast region,” elaborated Saha, who also oversees health and family welfare.

Currently, around 525 students from various years are enrolled in the MBBS program at AGMC.

Founded in 2005, AGMC saw its first batch graduate in 2010. Thus far, 1,484 students have completed their MBBS, with 1,270 originating from Tripura.

“To address the shortage of doctors, particularly in rural locales, we assigned MBBS graduates from Tripura Medical College and AGMC to those areas, boosting the health department's growth. Over the past nine years, approximately 391 students have completed their postgraduate studies. We are also considering initiating super-specialty courses at AGMC,” he added.

Chief Minister Saha, who is a trained dental surgeon, acknowledged the current shortage of beds at GB Pant Hospital, which has 727 beds, down from 1,413. Plans are underway to add an additional 100 beds for patients.

Saha mentioned that three successful kidney transplants have already taken place at AGMC.

“An MoU has been established with the Mohan Foundation. We also plan to conduct liver and heart transplants. Our discussions with AIIMS, New Delhi, are ongoing regarding these projects. We are prioritizing the launch of telemedicine, and the necessary formalities have already commenced. The community trusts AGMC and GB Pant Hospital. A cardiac care center has been established, and work is nearing completion in the other districts,” he stated.