The North News
Chandigarh, January 7
Punjab has carried out its first-ever liver transplant in a state-run hospital, marking a significant step in expanding advanced public healthcare services within the state. The procedure was performed at the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (PILBS) in SAS Nagar, making it the first time such a complex and costly operation has been conducted in a publicly funded institution in Punjab. State Health Minister Balbir Singh said the move reflected the government’s focus on strengthening public healthcare infrastructure. He credited the initiative to the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, saying it would allow patients to access specialised treatment closer to home.
For decades, patients in Punjab requiring liver transplants were forced to travel to private hospitals in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai, often at considerable financial and emotional cost. Officials said the new facility would help reduce this dependence and make advanced care more accessible.
Punjab has a relatively high burden of liver disease, with health authorities pointing to elevated rates of hepatitis B and C, as well as alcohol-related liver conditions. Until now, the absence of transplant services in government hospitals had limited treatment options for many families.
The PILBS has been developed as a specialised centre for liver and biliary diseases, offering hepatology, gastroenterology, critical care, surgery and post-transplant follow-up under one roof. Officials said the successful transplant demonstrated that these services were fully operational. The state government said the programme would be expanded in the coming months, with the aim of increasing transplant capacity, strengthening referral systems and supporting broader efforts to detect and treat liver disease at an earlier stage.
