GMCH performs first liver transplant at Govt Hospital in Northeast

Guwahati: The Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) has performed the first liver transplant at a government hospital in the Northeast, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. 

According to PTI, a team of doctors led by Dr Senthil Kumar conducted the 16-hour surgery, which began on Friday, on a 48-year-old man, who received a part of the liver from his younger sister.

“Assam is building a public healthcare system that matches the best in the country, and today we crossed another milestone,” Sarma said in a social media post.

“@gmchgauhati has performed the first liver transplant in a government hospital in Assam. In a 16-hour surgery, a 48-year-old man from Kamrup Metro received part of his liver from his younger sister. Her courage has given him a new life. My congratulations to the entire team,” he said.

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The minister said both the donor and recipient are recovering in the ICU under the close care of doctors.

“When we launched the liver transplantation programme in 2025, we made a clear decision: complex, life-saving care must be available in Assam, in our public hospitals, for every citizen. Today that decision is delivering results,” he added.

He further stated that this is only the beginning, as the government is building a statewide cancer care network.

Sarma said the government has brought bone marrow transplants to GMCH, and will soon set up India’s first proton beam therapy unit in the public sector in Guwahati.

“Our goal is clear: Assam will be the healthcare hub of Eastern India. Patients will no longer leave Assam for treatment; they will come to Assam for it,” the CM added.

Earlier, Health Minister Ashok Singhal said in a press conference that the transplant was a historic milestone in Assam’s healthcare journey.

“The complex, 16-hour procedure stands as a testament to the exceptional skill, dedication, and coordinated expertise of our doctors, specialists, and allied clinical teams,” Singhal said.

Under the visionary leadership of the chief minister, the health department initiated strategic steps in 2025 to build advanced transplant infrastructure across the state, and that vision has now translated into a life-saving reality, he said.

“We embarked on a mission to build advanced transplant infrastructure locally and today’s achievement is only the beginning, as we continue to expand specialised, world-class healthcare for every citizen,” Singhal added.

GMCH is now among 10 state-run medical colleges in India equipped to perform liver transplants.

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