The Department of Paediatrics, JIPMER has achieved a significant milestone with the successful performance of its first paediatric kidney transplant led by the Department of Paediatrics. The transplant was successfully performed in an 11-year old girl with end-stage kidney disease, who had been on dialysis for the preceding one and a half year. The child received a kidney from her mother, whose selfless act of donation stands as a moving example of parental courage and love. Both the mother and child have recovered well following the procedure.

JIPMER has been performing kidney transplantation through its established transplant programme and has gained experience in providing comprehensive transplant care to all patients including adolescents and young adults. However, this transplant marks a distinct milestone as the first paediatric kidney transplant in which the Department of Paediatrics has taken the lead in planning, coordinating and executing the transplant as a dedicated paediatric programme, in close collaboration with the various specialist teams of JIPMER.

The achievement was made possible through the seamless multidisciplinary collaboration of the Department of Paediatrics with the Nephrology team, Urology team, Anaesthesia team, Transplant ICU team, nursing staff, transplant coordinators, dialysis technicians, dieticians, physiotherapists and other allied healthcare professionals. Their coordinated efforts encompassed pre-transplant evaluation, dialysis and optimisation, donor assessment, transplantation, peri-operative management, immunosuppression, fluid and electrolyte management, nutritional care and post-transplant monitoring.

Dr. Vir Singh Negi, Director, JIPMER, congratulated the entire multidisciplinary team for this significant achievement and said that the “Paediatric kidney transplantation requires a high degree of clinical expertise, meticulous coordination and specialised care at every stage. The surgical procedure is only one part of the journey; immunosuppression, fluid and electrolyte management, nutrition, anaesthesia, intensive care and post-transplant monitoring all require careful adaptation to the needs of a growing child. The successful outcome in this child reflects the dedication, expertise and seamless teamwork of our clinicians, nurses and allied healthcare professionals across multiple departments”. He congratulates the Department of Paediatrics for taking the lead in establishing this dedicated programme as well as the transplantation team and other departments of JIPMER who have contributed to this important milestone. Dr. Negi added saying that this experience will provide the foundation for a sustainable paediatric kidney transplant programme at JIPMER and enable many more children with end-stage kidney disease to access advanced transplant care within the public healthcare system.”

The programme has also benefited from the mentorship and clinical guidance of the Paediatric Nephrology team of AIIMS, New Delhi, under an outreach Partnership Program initiative of the International Paediatric Transplant Association (IPTA). The experience gained through this grant is expected to contribute to the development of a sustainable and dedicated paediatric kidney transplant programme at JIPMER.

Affordability remains another important dimension of this achievement. As a public healthcare institution, JIPMER provides highly subsidised healthcare services and essential medications, substantially reducing the financial burden associated with complex transplantation. Financial assistance available through PM-JAY and applicable government insurance schemes can further reduce out-of-pocket expenditure for eligible beneficiaries, making advanced transplant care more accessible to children from economically disadvantaged families.

This milestone reinforces JIPMER's commitment to expanding comprehensive, compassionate and specialised paediatric healthcare, while strengthening its capacity to provide advanced transplant services closer to home for children with end-stage kidney disease in Puducherry and the surrounding regions.

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