The Karnataka Cabinet has approved plans to establish a 1,000‑bed multi‑speciality hospital in Bengaluru dedicated to free and subsidised organ transplants for poor patients. The project will be developed in partnership with the Azim Premji Foundation and sited on 10 acres adjacent to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
Bengaluru organ transplant hospital plan and timeline
Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said the foundation will invest ₹1,000 crore to build the facility and is expected to spend about ₹350 crore a year to maintain it. The state government will provide the land on a 99‑year lease. The facility will offer kidney, liver, lung and other organ transplants, with the first 350 beds to be operational within three years and the full 1,000‑bed capacity reached over five years.
“This is a unique model in the country,” Dr Patil told reporters, adding that roughly 70% of beds will be provided free of charge while the remaining 30% will be available at a nominal cost and included under the Ayushman Bharat‑Arogya Karnataka scheme. The location next to NIMHANS has been chosen to facilitate rapid harvesting and transport of organs.
The move responds to a pressing clinical need in Karnataka. Officials estimate that more than 5,000 patients are awaiting kidney transplants and over 1,000 are awaiting liver transplants across the state. The new centre is intended to expand capacity and reduce waiting times for life‑saving procedures.
As part of governance arrangements, three government representatives will sit on the board that will manage the hospital. Discussions are also under way to transfer management of an existing liver transplant facility at the Institute of Gastro Enterology Sciences and Organ Transplant Institute in Bengaluru to the Azim Premji Foundation while the new hospital is being established. Officials say this will give the foundation practical experience in running transplant services.
Beyond surgery, the plan envisages sustained annual funding to ensure high standards of care, and the integration of the new centre with state health schemes so that eligible patients receive financial protection. The 70% free bed allocation aims to make advanced transplant care accessible to low‑income families who might otherwise be unable to afford treatment.
Healthcare experts welcomed the announcement, noting that philanthropic partnerships can accelerate the expansion of specialised services while public oversight helps safeguard equity. The project also demonstrates a model for collaboration between government and private foundations to solve persistent health system gaps.
In addition to the hospital approval, the Cabinet sanctioned compensation for landowners affected by the Bengaluru Business Corridor acquisition. Compensation for 948 acres has been finalised with landowners under an agreed formula, officials said.
With construction funded and a clear operating plan, the new Bengaluru organ transplant hospital is poised to become a major referral centre for transplants in southern India, offering a mix of free and subsidised care aimed at reducing the region’s sizeable transplant waiting lists.
Key Takeaways:
- Karnataka and Azim Premji Foundation will develop a 1,000‑bed Bengaluru organ transplant hospital on 10 acres next to NIMHANS.
- The foundation will invest ₹1,000 crore and fund about ₹350 crore a year to run the facility; 70% of beds will be free.
- Initial 350 beds within three years, scaled to 1,000 beds over five years, with services covered under Ayushman Bharat‑Arogya Karnataka.
- Government will hold a 99‑year lease and appoint three representatives to the hospital board to oversee operations.
