For Prelims: Organ transplantation, Multiple-organ transplantation, Quaternary care, Autologous transplantation
For Mains: Society: Health and access to healthcare; Science and Technology: Medical technology and organ transplantation
Source:
Dainik Bhaskar
5 facts for one-day exams
SSC, railway, police and teaching exams ask direct questions like these.
- SGPGI is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
- Professor R. K. Dhiman is the director of SGPGI.
- SGPGI plans to develop transplants involving two or more organs.
- SGPGI doctors reconstructed a patient's missing thumb using his toe.
- Members of SGPGI's lung transplant team trained in Chennai.
The news
Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI), Lucknow, plans to develop multiple-solid-organ transplantation alongside hand and lung transplant services, its director Professor R. K. Dhiman said in an interview on November 12, 2026. The institute already performs kidney, liver and heart transplants separately. The proposed expansion aims to treat patients who need two or more organs replaced, such as a kidney and a liver or a heart and a kidney, at a single centre within Uttar Pradesh.
Professor Dhiman said the institute is moving towards quaternary care, with multiple-solid-organ transplantation as the priority. For hand transplantation, doctors recently reconstructed a road accident victim's missing thumb using his own toe, which the director described as a first step. For lung transplantation, Dr Alok Nath and a colleague have completed training in Chennai and are now seeking a suitable patient. A lung may be transplanted alone or, in some cases, with a heart. The director said the goal is to ensure that no Uttar Pradesh patient has to travel outside the state for organ transplantation.
Why in the news?
SGPGI director Professor R. K. Dhiman outlined the institute's plans for multiple-organ, hand and lung transplants in a November 12, 2026 interview, signalling a major expansion of specialised transplant care within Uttar Pradesh.
What is the legal framework for organ transplantation in India?
The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994, regulates the removal, storage and transplantation of human organs and tissues for therapeutic purposes in India. The Act was amended in 2011 to include tissues and to strengthen provisions against commercial dealings in organs. The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014, provide detailed procedures for authorisation, registration of hospitals, and the role of the appropriate authority. The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) was set up in 2014 as the apex body for coordination and networking. The Act recognises brain-stem death as a legal form of death, which is essential for deceased-donor organ retrieval.
What is the current transplant capability at SGPGI?
SGPGI currently performs kidney, liver and heart transplants in individual patients. It conducted Uttar Pradesh's first heart transplant. The institute describes its expansion as a move towards quaternary care, or highly specialised treatment, and aims to improve access to such care for patients across the state.
How will the new services be developed?
For multiple-solid-organ transplantation, the institute plans to cover combinations such as kidney–liver and heart–kidney transplants. The hand transplant goal follows a toe-to-hand thumb reconstruction performed by the plastic surgery department. For lung transplantation, Dr Alok Nath and a colleague trained in Chennai; the team is now looking for a suitable patient. The director said that wider access would also require other major hospitals in Uttar Pradesh to build specialised capacity.
Uttar Pradesh connection
Matters for these Uttar Pradesh exams:UPPSC
Facts and terms for exams
- Organ transplantation:
- A medical procedure in which an organ is placed in a patient to replace or support a failing organ.
- Multiple-organ transplantation:
- Transplantation involving two or more organs for a patient who requires replacement of more than one organ.
- Quaternary care:
- Highly specialised medical care involving advanced procedures and expertise beyond routine specialist care.
- Autologous transplantation:
- Transfer of tissue from one part of a patient's body to another part of the same patient's body.
Why it matters for exams
Exams: UPPSC
Syllabus: Society: Health and access to healthcare; Science and Technology: Medical technology and organ transplantation
Common mistake: Examiners may confuse a completed hand transplant with toe-to-hand thumb reconstruction: the latter has been performed, while hand transplantation remains a goal.
Mains question
Examine the challenges in expanding multi-organ transplant services in a public tertiary-care hospital in India, with reference to SGPGI's plans.
Stuck? Get it in one tap
SGPGI plans to treat patients who need more than one organ transplant at the same institution. It also aims to start hand and lung transplants. Doctors have already used a patient's toe to reconstruct his missing thumb, but that is not a full hand transplant.
- SGPGI is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
- Professor R. K. Dhiman is the director of SGPGI.
- SGPGI plans to develop transplants involving two or more organs.
- SGPGI doctors reconstructed a patient's missing thumb using his toe.
- Members of SGPGI's lung transplant team trained in Chennai.
- Society: Health and access to healthcare
- Science and Technology: Medical technology and organ transplantation
Related concepts: Organ transplantation, Multiple-organ transplantation, Quaternary care, Autologous transplantation
Practice questions
Pick an answer, then read the explanation.
- Q1Easy
Which institution in Lucknow plans to develop multiple-organ transplantation facilities?
Explanation: Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences is the institution planning the facility. Its departments and transplant teams are parts of the institution rather than separate institutions responsible for the overall plan.
- Q2Hard
Consider the following statements about SGPGI's transplant plans in 2026:
- 1.Kidney–liver transplantation is among the multiple-organ combinations under consideration.
- 2.A full hand transplant has already been completed at SGPGI.
- 3.Members of the lung transplant team trained in Chennai.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statements 1 and 3 are correct: kidney–liver transplantation is a planned combination, and team members trained in Chennai. Statement 2 is incorrect because the completed procedure was toe-to-hand thumb reconstruction, not a full hand transplant.
- Q3Medium
How many organs does SGPGI's proposed multiple-organ transplantation service aim to transplant in a patient?
Explanation: The proposed service covers patients who need two or more organs. A single-organ transplant does not meet that description, and the plan is not restricted to exactly three or at least four organs.
- Q4Medium
What is the principal access objective of SGPGI's proposed transplant expansion in Uttar Pradesh?
Explanation: SGPGI aims to develop advanced services within Uttar Pradesh so patients can obtain treatment in the state. The plans add to existing transplant services, cover several organs and depend on trained specialist teams.
Frequently asked questions
1. What multiple-organ transplants does SGPGI plan to develop?
The planned service would cover combinations such as kidney–liver and heart–kidney transplants for patients needing more than one organ.
2. Has SGPGI completed a hand transplant?
A full hand transplant remains a goal. Doctors have reconstructed a patient's missing thumb using his toe.
3. Where did SGPGI's lung transplant team train?
Dr Alok Nath and a colleague trained in Chennai. The team is seeking a suitable patient for the procedure.
4. Why is SGPGI expanding transplant services?
The institute aims to make advanced transplant care available within Uttar Pradesh and reduce patients' need to travel outside the state.
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- Original12 November 2026 · Read story
