CUTTACK: Even as efforts are on to transform SCB Medical College and Hospital into an AIIMS Plus institute, the premier government healthcare facility is yet to get a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing unit to conduct antibody screening and cross-matching required for cadaveric organ transplantation.
Screening and antigen cross-matching of both the donor and the recipient are essential for organ transplantation. The transplant is done only if the cross-matching test result comes out negative.
Recently, the hospital authorities had a tough time transplanting the kidneys of a brain-dead woman on two persons.
The blood samples of the woman were drawn and sent to a private hospital at Bhubaneswar in a special ambulance under the guidance of a doctor. But, as the samples were not adequate for HLA testing, the private hospital returned them. The SCB authorities then gathered the required amount of samples and sent them again.
The first cadaveric organ transplantation was conducted at SCB MCH in February, 2020 following which a proposal was placed with the state government for the provisioning of the HLA testing facility. SCB MCH is yet to procure the machine even as three years have already passed and as many as six cadaveric transplantations conducted during the period.
SCB MCH administrative officer Abinash Rout however said the tender process for procurement of HLA testing machine has been completed and it is expected to be installed within three-four months.