Chandigarh, July 11: To strengthen renal care services in the northeastern region, Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister Biyuram Wahge visited the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Chandigarh on Thursday, seeking deeper academic and technical collaboration for developing a renal transplant programme in his state.
Accompanied by a high-level delegation—including health advisor Mohesh Chai, Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) director Dr Moji Jini, and OSD to the minister Gomi Basar—Wahge met PGIMER Director Dr Vivek Lal and key faculty involved in transplantation services.
“This visit reinforces our commitment to bring life-saving renal transplant services to our people, many of whom are forced to travel long distances for treatment,” Wahge said. “PGIMER is a national institute of excellence. We are here to seek your mentorship, your support, and your experience to help us build a transplant programme in Arunachal Pradesh.”
The visit marks a continued phase of the ongoing collaboration between PGIMER and TRIHMS. Officials noted that this is the second team of healthcare professionals from Arunachal Pradesh to undergo specialised training at PGIMER. The previous batch included doctors and transplant coordinators who have already completed intensive mentorship under PGI experts.
Dr Vivek Lal praised the minister’s direct engagement. “It is truly remarkable that Mr. Wahge travelled all the way here, bypassing formal protocols, simply to spend more time understanding our systems,” he said. “His dedication to transforming healthcare in Arunachal Pradesh is exemplary.”
Lal added that PGIMER remains committed to extending structured training opportunities, including both postgraduate sponsorship and short-term observer programmes. “These dual-mode strategies have proven effective in our collaborations with institutions like the Indian Army and are now being tailored for Arunachal’s needs,” he said.
The training model aims to ensure capacity building without disrupting critical health services in the home state. PGIMER officials shared that clinical protocols, observer exchanges, and curriculum design will be shared with TRIHMS as part of the collaborative roadmap.
With this ongoing effort, Arunachal Pradesh moves a step closer to establishing a self-sustaining, state-level renal transplant ecosystem.
