Safdarjung’s Pioneering Renal Transplant Milestone Saves 11-Year-Old

What became a second life for an 11-year-old boy Aman (name changed) marked a defining achievement for Delhi-based VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital — its first-ever paediatric renal transplant, and the first such procedure in any central government hospital.

Aman had been brought to the hospital a year and a half ago, after collapsing at his home in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He had suffered a cardiac arrest before being revived by doctors. Subsequent investigations revealed a rare congenital condition — bilateral hypodysplastic kidneys — in which both kidneys are under-developed in the womb.

For his parents, a daily-wage worker father and a 35-year-old mother, the diagnosis brought profound uncertainty. The child was placed on regular dialysis, binding the family to frequent hospital visits, financial strain and the fear that a transplant — the only definitive treatment — was well beyond their reach.

Last week everything changed for the better. On Tuesday i.e. on November 25, VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital announced a landmark achievement — the first successful paediatric renal transplant in the hospital’s history, and the first such transplant in any central government hospital. For the family, it was nothing short of a new beginning.

The surgery conducted on November 19, 2025 was led by Director Professor and Incharge of Paediatric Nephrology, Dr. Shobha Sharma, who had treated the child since the cardiac arrest that nearly took his life. The other members of the team were Dr. Pradeep K Debala. The anaesthesia team was led by Dr. Sushil and included Dr. Mamta and Dr. Sonali under Director Professor and Head of Anaesthesia, Dr. Kavita Rani Sharma.

Paediatric kidney transplantation, doctors emphasise, is uniquely demanding. The donor organ — an adult kidney — must be carefully implanted into a much smaller body, stitched to larger major vessels, and given enough anatomical space to function safely. Leading the transplant team, Dr. Pawan Vasudeva, Director Professor and Head of Urology described the procedure as “a delicate orchestration requiring absolute precision.” Dr. Vasudeva whose team also included Professor Urology Dr. Niraj Kumar, said the transplanted kidney has begun functioning normally. The child is recovering smoothly, off dialysis, and preparing for discharge.

For the mother, who stepped forward as the donor despite her own fragile circumstances, the transplant was an act of instinctive courage. “A mother’s body became her son’s chance at life,” Dr. Sharma said.

The hospital’s leadership has called the milestone a reaffirmation of public healthcare’s mission. “To see a child who had nearly lost all hope now walking towards a healthy life — and all free of cost — is immensely satisfying,” said Dr. Sandeep Bansal, Director of VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital. A similar procedure in the private sector, he noted, would have cost the family close to Rs15 lakh — an impossible sum.

Medical Superintendent Safdarjung Hospital Dr. Charu Bamba added that the hospital will provide the child’s lifelong immunosuppressive medicines — often expensive and essential — entirely free of charge.

Dr. Sharma added that “parents are the preferred donors for kids who need kidney transplants since studies have shown that transplants from these donors (parents) have very high success rates.”

She also batted for kidney transplant in the ailing kids. “Having a kidney transplant means your child would not have to do dialysis, which takes up lots of time and could disrupt your child's mental, social and school life,” said the head of the Hospital’s Paediatric Nephrology Department.