Organ Transplant in Kolkata: A Symptom of Assam’s Healthcare Gaps, Not Just Legal Hurdles

The recent revelation that Dr. Abhijit Sarma, the Superintendent of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), had to undergo a kidney transplant in Kolkata—not in his home state of Assam—has opened the floodgates of public criticism and uncomfortable questions for the state’s health administration.

As social media brimmed with speculation, criticism, and disappointment, Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal issued a public clarification attempting to deflect the blame. According to the minister, “Assam does not permit organ transplants from non-related donors due to medicolegal regulations. Such transplants are only allowed in Kolkata.”

While the minister’s appeal to not equate this with poor infrastructure may seem earnest, the reasoning deserves deeper scrutiny. Because, beneath the legalese, the minister’s statement unintentionally exposes a more worrying reality—that of administrative inertia and a selective portrayal of the healthcare narrative in Assam.

The Law Does Not Prohibit—It Permits with Oversight

Let’s begin with the claim about legal limitations. The transplantation of human organs from unrelated donors is not illegal in India. The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act (THOTA), 1994, which Assam follows as part of national legislation, permits such transplants under stringent checks and balances. An Authorization Committee can grant approval for a donation from an unrelated donor, after thorough ethical and legal vetting to prevent commercial exploitation.

So, if such transplants are being successfully and legally conducted in cities like Kolkata under the same law, why not in Assam?

The answer is not a lack of legal provision—but a lack of state-level preparedness, perhaps political will, or a cautious bureaucratic approach masquerading as regulatory compliance. The minister’s suggestion that Assam cannot permit such procedures is, frankly, misleading. It can—if it chooses to.

The Infrastructure Illusion

Minister Singhal further stated that Dr. Sarma’s relocation to Kolkata shouldn’t be seen as a reflection on Assam’s medical infrastructure. But when the superintendent of the state's premier hospital—the face of Assam’s healthcare—cannot be treated within the system he oversees, what message does that send to ordinary citizens?

Let’s be clear: infrastructure is not just about buildings and machines. It includes administrative competence, ethical oversight, organ donor awareness programs, and the formation of statutory bodies like Authorization Committees. If Assam lacks these elements to carry out an unrelated kidney transplant within its borders, that is precisely an infrastructural and administrative gap.

Why Should Patients Travel at All?

Dr. Sarma’s case is not isolated. Many patients in Assam needing organ transplants from unrelated donors are routinely referred or forced to travel to metropolitan cities, including Kolkata, Bengaluru, or Delhi. The emotional, logistical, and financial cost of such displacement is steep, especially for the underprivileged.

Instead of investing in this critical capacity and creating systems that comply with the national legal framework, Assam’s health authorities appear to be taking the safer route—by avoiding the complexity of regulating unrelated donor transplants altogether.

Transparency vs Deflection

Rather than owning up to systemic bottlenecks or pledging reforms, the minister’s clarification came across as defensive and overly reliant on technicalities. Worse, by calling the public discourse “misinformation,” the government seems to be undermining genuine public concern.

One might ask: if Kolkata’s hospitals can uphold legal and ethical standards while performing such surgeries, what stops Assam from doing the same?

It is not a question of legality, but of leadership, willpower, and trust in the state’s own healthcare institutions.

The Way Forward

Assam cannot continue to present itself as a healthcare success story while skirting the development of organ transplant capabilities for all categories of donors. The government must immediately consider:

• Setting up state-level Authorization Committees for unrelated transplants.

• Strengthening medico-legal expertise within public hospitals.

• Launching public awareness drives on ethical organ donation.

• Creating a transparent mechanism to evaluate and approve unrelated donations under THOTA.

If Assam is truly committed to becoming a healthcare hub in the Northeast, it must stop deflecting questions and start answering them—with policy, not PR.

Dr. Abhijit Sarma’s decision to seek a transplant in Kolkata may have been made in medical urgency, but its implications are symbolic and systemic. A state that prides itself on revolutionizing healthcare cannot hide behind selective interpretations of law. The people of Assam deserve not just world-class infrastructure, but also the confidence that their own health system is ready, willing, and empowered to treat them—legally and ethically—at home.

Until then, the gap between claim and reality will continue to grow, and so will the journeys of patients forced to cross state lines for care they should receive right here in Assam.

Also Read: Why GMCH Superintendent Went to Kolkata for Kidney Surgery – Assam Health Minister Explains