SAS NAGAR (MOHALI), AUGUST 21 — Punjab marked a key advancement in public healthcare infrastructure as the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences completed three successful liver transplant surgeries within one week.
Speaking at the medical facility, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh affirmed that the achievement highlights the state government’s push to make specialized medical care broadly accessible through public institutions.
Each of the three recent procedures involved living donor transplants within families, including a wife donating to her husband, a mother to her daughter, and a son to his father.
“These cases are not only stories of medical success but also of love, sacrifice and family bonding,” stated Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh. “Such acts of selflessness give new hope and a new lease of life to patients suffering from serious liver ailments.”
With the addition of these procedures, the institute has completed five total liver transplants to date.
The state government plans to expand transplant accessibility across Punjab using a hub-and-spoke operational model. Under this structure, the Mohali facility will operate as the central hub, while government medical colleges act as regional spokes handling patient identification, initial evaluations, referrals, and post-operative follow-up.
To further build state capacity, renal transplant operations are scheduled to open at state facilities in Mohali and Patiala.
The minister commended Director Dr Virendra Singh and the clinical staff for managing the complex surgical cases. Facility upgrades are currently underway, including adding 170 beds to expand capacity for indoor patient care and diagnostic testing.
