Bengaluru, June 26 (UNI) In a breakthrough for affordable advanced healthcare, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, Bengaluru, has emerged as the only hospital in South India offering simultaneous dual robotic kidney transplants without pushing the financial burden onto patients.
According to Dr Mohan Keshavamurthy, Principal Director – Renal Sciences, the total cost difference between a conventional transplant and a fully robotic transplant is just Rs 1 to Rs 1.5 lakh, making the advanced procedure financially accessible.
"The idea is to treat the patient, not the pocket. Despite investing Rs 32 to Rs 40 crore in robotic systems, the patient cost is kept within reach—and many are covered by insurance," he told UNI in an interaction.
Fortis Bengaluru is the only hospital in Karnataka and Southern India to house two Da Vinci surgical robots side by side, enabling donor and recipient to be operated on simultaneously. Globally, only nine hospitals have used this technique—Fortis being the first in India and second in Asia after Seoul. This approach has transformed outcomes for high-risk patients previously denied surgery due to medical complexity, age, or anatomical challenges.
Dr. Keshavamurthy confirmed that robotic transplants are now covered by several private insurers, including Star Health, and are protected by IRDAI guidelines and a Supreme Court ruling that guarantees donor and recipient coverage under valid clinical conditions.
"More than 50 percent of our transplants are insurance-backed, and about 30 percent are done for CGHS, ECHS, and institutional beneficiaries. Our focus is inclusion," he added.
Currently, Ayushman Bharat covers transplants only in public hospitals. However, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is in development. By November 2025, private hospitals like Fortis may conduct surgeries under government rates and receive reimbursements.
Fortis treats patients from across India and abroad, with 17 to 18 percent of transplants for international patients. Surgical costs remain the same, but foreigners bear additional expenses for stay and embassy clearance, typically adding five to six weeks to their recovery period.
The Fortis transplant team includes 30 skilled urologists, with a wide generational spread, ensuring continuous availability of top-quality care. The hospital plans to train other centers in the technique to expand access nationwide. "Machines can be bought by others, but what we have is generational talent, developed over decades. That’s what makes Bengaluru a transplant destination," Dr. Keshavamurthy said.
He emphasized that as volume increases, cost will further reduce, just as it happened with mobile phones and consumer electronics in India. "We expect to recover our investment in 600 to 700 transplants over four to five years, but that is not the priority. Giving patients a future is," he stated.
With India seeing rising cases of diabetes and longer lifespans, 70 percent of kidney transplants at Fortis are now performed for diabetes-related kidney failure, a stark shift from the past.
"What was once a contraindication is now the main reason for transplant. We’re adapting to the needs of modern India," he concluded.
In blending technology, affordability, and compassion, Fortis Bengaluru’s TREAT program is redefining kidney transplant care in India and setting a global example.
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