Three Kidney Transplants Planned During Pro Bono Medical Mission

On Friday, December 5, 2025, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Anil Bachoo, visited the kidney transplant unit at Victoria Hospital, where he met with an international team of transplant specialists: Dr. Sonal Asthana from India, Dr. Suraj Sobnach, and Dr. Sharan Rambarran, both practicing in South Africa. The team is currently in Mauritius to conduct a series of kidney transplant surgeries.

Anil Bachoo expressed gratitude to the visiting specialists for their ongoing support and for helping to enhance the country's specialized surgical services. Since the beginning of the year, over a hundred major surgeries have been performed with the collaboration of renowned foreign experts, including around twenty kidney transplants, thirty heart surgeries, ten cancer-related ENT operations, and ten vascular interventions.

During their current mission, the specialists are expected to perform three kidney transplants, which will include up to six operations for the donors and recipients. This follows a prior visit during which they screened several patients and identified three compatible donor-recipient pairs. Overall, the team assessed more than twenty cases in preparation for future transplant sessions. All procedures conducted by the visiting specialists in Mauritius are undertaken on a pro bono basis.

"The visit also provided an opportunity to discuss national priorities for strengthening transplantation and surgical services," said the minister. Key areas include the establishment of a dedicated liver transplant unit, the expansion of the deceased donor transplant program, the development of a pair exchange program, and increased training opportunities for Mauritian surgeons to enable more patients to receive advanced treatment locally.

The Health Minister announced that open-heart surgeries will soon be introduced at Flacq Hospital. "This initiative is part of the government's broader strategy to expand specialized health services and enhance national autonomy in managing complex medical interventions," he stated.

The specialists highlighted the growing number of young adults aged 20 to 40 suffering from kidney failure, describing it as a concerning issue. They also shared their optimism that with ongoing training, local surgeons will soon be able to independently perform complex transplant procedures. They expressed satisfaction in collaborating with Mauritian medical teams and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting patients in Mauritius.