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Punjab News: Punjab Government has established Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (P.I.L.B.S.), S.A.S. A decisive administrative milestone has been established by conducting the first successful liver transplant in the state in the city. For the first time since independence, the Punjab Government has ensured that one of the most complex and expensive life-saving medical procedures, which was earlier restricted to private hospitals in metropolitan cities, was made available in a state-run institution.

This achievement is not an isolated medical achievement. It expresses strong intentions. This achievement provides a clear reprieve from decades of neglect under which previous state governments restricted critical tertiary health care to Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai, causing huge financial and emotional costs to Punjab’s patients. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state has moved from dependence to capability.

Public health care is the state’s responsibility, not a privilege for the rich.

P.I.L.B.S. Launching liver transplant services in India reflects the government’s approach towards health care. Which includes building strong government institutions instead of forcing citizens to turn to private hospitals. Advanced care services are no longer seen as a privilege of the wealthy, but as the responsibility of all citizens.

Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is building Institutes of Excellence that ensure easy access to world-class health care for the common citizen. The successful liver transplant at PILBS is a historic step, which ensures that the people of Punjab no longer need to go outside the state for advanced liver care.”

Government’s priority towards the needs of Punjab

Punjab has the highest number of people suffering from liver diseases across the country. The rate of hepatitis C in Punjab ranges from 0.56 per cent to 3.6 per cent, while the national average is around 0.3 per cent, which means an estimated 1.5 to 10 lakh persons are suffering from it. The rate of hepatitis B is about 1 to 1.5 percent. More than 40 percent of cirrhosis cases across the country are due to alcohol- liver disease and high alcohol consumption in Punjab further increases this risk.

For years, this public health crisis has been ignored. Patients were forced to travel outside the state for treatment, families were burdened with debt and government hospitals remained structurally incapable. The Mann government chose to focus its attention on an area that had been consistently ignored by previous governments.

End of dependence on other states for treatment

Before this initiative, liver transplant patients in Punjab had no real option other than seeking treatment in far-flung metros. This resulted in heavy burden on the pocket, long wait, loss of livelihood and lack of family support. This means that liver transplant remains out of reach of middle and low income families.

P.I.L.B.S. By enabling liver transplant in India, the Punjab Government has bridged the long-standing gap in access to liver care and provided a ray of hope to patients who had lost hope of survival due to inability to afford treatment.

*P.I.L.B.S. as a government institution

P.I.L.B.S. has been developed as a specialized center for liver and urinary diseases offering advanced hepatology, gastroenterology, diagnostics, critical care, hepato-biliary surgery, transplant services and post transplant follow-up under one roof. The successful transplant performed here proves that these systems are not reactive but are fully functional and clinically integrated.

This is a direct result of the priority given by the government. Complex tertiary care requires sustained funding, administrative support and a commitment to strengthen rather than hollow out government institutions.

Services other than surgery

This first liver transplant marks Punjab’s formal entry into modern organ transplant care services. It reduces dependency on hospitals outside the state, strengthens tertiary health care in the public system and paves the way for greater transplants, medical training in the state and a structured referral network in the districts.

This program has the potential to strengthen ongoing efforts to eliminate hepatitis B and C, enable earlier detection of liver disease, and significantly reduce deaths from liver diseases.

Meaningful results of government’s priority

With this achievement, Punjab has proven that when strongly prioritized by the government, public health care institutions can generally deliver the same results as high-end private hospitals. The Mann government has proved that strengthening the capacity of the state is not based on empty rhetoric but on concrete implementation.

By introducing liver transplantation services in a government hospital, Punjab has not only saved precious lives but also shown what citizens can expect from their government.