Panaji (Goa) State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane has said that no private hospital would be allowed to conduct kidney transplant till Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) does it.

Rane told reporters today that the permission granted by a committee to allow a private hospital (Manipal Hospital) to conduct kidney transplant operations is kept on the hold.

“I will not allow any private hospital to conduct kidney transplant till we start the facility in GMCH. I have instructed GMCH to start the facility as soon as possible,” he said.

The minister said that the file, which had given approval for the private hospital to conduct kidney transplant, has been kept on hold. “I will dissolve the committee which was formed to decide kidney transplant and that gave the approval. New committee will be formed soon,” he said.

“I will not consider registering any hospital for kidney transplant till GMCH does its first kidney transplant,” he said.

The state level committee during last month had granted approval for Manipal Hospital to conduct kidney transplant operations. The approval was kept on hold by the minister who then claimed that “opposition parties had expressed their reservations over allowing a private hospital to conduct the transplant.”

Meanwhile, Rane said that the State government has taken up the work of reviving the GMCH for which around 450-500 posts in GMCH which had lapsed would be revived.

He said that the next cabinet meeting will also give permission for additional Cardiologist in the GMCH. Also the foundation stone for super speciality block which is constructed at the cost of Rs 320 crore would be laid in November, this year.