Under visionary leadership of CM Mann, Punjab is building institutions of excellence that bring world-class healthcare within reach of common citizens: Dr. Balbir Singh
Punjab enters new phase where public healthcare is defined by capability & commitment, not compromise
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
Punjab has crossed a decisive governance milestone by successfully conducting its first-ever liver transplant within the state, at the Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (PILBS), SAS Nagar. For the first time since Independence, a Punjab government has ensured that one of the most complex and expensive life-saving medical procedures is available within a publicly funded state institution, not outsourced to metropolitan private hospitals.
This achievement is not an isolated medical event. It is a statement of intent. It reflects a clear break from decades of neglect where successive governments allowed critical tertiary healthcare to remain concentrated in Delhi, Mumbai, or Chennai, forcing Punjab’s patients to bear crushing financial and emotional costs. Under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the state has moved from dependence to capability.
Public Healthcare as State Responsibility, Not Private Privilege
The operationalisation of liver transplant services at PILBS underlines the Mann government’s approach to healthcare: build strong public institutions instead of pushing citizens towards private hospitals. Advanced care is no longer treated as a privilege for the wealthy, but as a responsibility of the state.
Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab is building institutions of excellence that bring world-class healthcare within reach of the common citizen. The successful liver transplant at PILBS is a historic step, ensuring that people of Punjab no longer need to travel outside the state for advanced liver care.”
Punjab’s Reality Forced This Governance Choice
Punjab carries one of the heaviest liver disease burdens in the country. Hepatitis C prevalence ranges from 0.56 % to as high as 3.6 %, compared to a national average of around 0.3 %, translating to an estimated 1.5 to 10 lakh affected individuals. Hepatitis B prevalence stands at approximately 1 to 1.5 %. Alcohol-related liver disease accounts for over 40 % of cirrhosis cases nationally, and Punjab’s higher alcohol consumption rates compound this risk.
For years, this public health crisis was met with indifference. Patients were pushed out of state, families were pushed into debt, and government hospitals remained structurally unprepared. The Mann government chose to intervene where earlier regimes chose to look away.
Ending Forced Medical Migration
Before this initiative, liver transplant patients from Punjab had no real choice but to seek treatment in distant metropolitan centres. This imposed massive out-of-pocket expenditure, long waiting periods, loss of livelihoods, and separation from family support systems. In practice, this meant that liver transplantation remained inaccessible to middle- and lower-income families.
By enabling liver transplants at PILBS, the Punjab government has closed a long-standing access gap and restored dignity to patients who were previously priced out of survival.
PILBS as a Public-Sector Statement
PILBS has been developed as a specialised centre for liver and biliary diseases, offering advanced hepatology, gastroenterology, diagnostics, critical care, hepato-biliary surgery, transplant services, and post-transplant follow-up under one roof. The successful transplant proves that these systems are not symbolic but fully operational and clinically integrated.
This is a direct outcome of political prioritisation. Complex tertiary care does not emerge accidentally; it requires sustained funding, administrative backing, and the resolve to strengthen government institutions rather than hollow them out.
Beyond One Surgery
The first liver transplant marks Punjab’s formal entry into advanced organ transplant care. It reduces dependence on out-of-state hospitals, anchors tertiary healthcare within the public system, and lays the groundwork for higher transplant volumes, in-state medical training, and a structured referral network across districts.
The programme is expected to reinforce ongoing Hepatitis B and C elimination efforts, enable earlier detection of liver disease, and significantly reduce preventable deaths from advanced liver conditions.
Governance with Consequence
With this achievement, Punjab has demonstrated that public healthcare can deliver outcomes typically associated with elite private hospitals, when backed by political will. The Mann government has shown that strengthening state capacity is not rhetoric but execution.
By bringing liver transplantation into a government hospital, Punjab has not only saved lives but also redefined what citizens can expect from their government.