iORTA inaugurates ‘KiTES’ kids kidney transplant clinic in Trichy

iORTA has inaugurated its Kids Kidney Transplant Clinic – “KiTES” at City Hospital, Tiruchy, marking a major step toward expanding pediatric transplant care for economically disadvantaged children in Tamil Nadu.
The initiative aims to provide comprehensive kidney transplant services to children from low-income backgrounds, ensuring access to life-saving treatment based on medical need rather than financial capacity.
The clinic was inaugurated in the presence of Chief Guest V. Balakrishnan, IPS, Inspector General of Police, Central Zone – Trichy, and Guest of Honour Dr. T.N. Janakiram, Managing Director, Royal Pearl Group of Hospitals.
KiTES has been designed as a complete pediatric kidney transplant pathway covering clinical evaluation, donor work-up, transplant surgery and structured post-transplant follow-up care.
Speaking at the launch, V. Balakrishnan said healthcare equity is vital and initiatives like KiTES ensure that life-saving interventions reach every child irrespective of economic background.
Highlighting the medical urgency, Dr. Prabhu Kanchi, Lead Transplant Nephrologist, iORTA, noted that Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is increasingly affecting children, with thousands progressing to End-Stage Renal Disease requiring transplants. He said early intervention through programmes like KiTES can prevent prolonged dialysis and improve survival outcomes.
Dr. Kapali Neelamegam, Live Transplant Surgeon, iORTA, said advances in surgical techniques and perioperative care have significantly improved graft survival and long-term success in pediatric transplants.
With Trichy as the launch base, iORTA plans to scale the KiTES model across Tamil Nadu, aiming to ensure that no child is denied a kidney transplant due to financial constraints.