'India emerging as liver transplant hub'

India is emerging as a global hub for liver transplant with expanded medical facilities, an expert said here Friday.

"Around 50-60 percent of live transplant patients are from foreign countries," said Vivek Vij, director, Liver Transplant Programme in Fortis Hospital here.

"The reason India has emerged as a hub for liver transplant is because of the poor medical facilities in countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia and other African nations," he added.

Vij was speaking on the occasion of Fortis Hospital becoming the first hospital in Uttar Pradesh to perform 100 liver transplants.

"Since the inception of the hospital in 2012, Fortis Noida has recorded a 100 percent donor and 97 percent recipient survival rate, surpassing the international standards for safety and establishing the hospital as a coveted centre for liver transplant."

He said the hospital has also initiated a lot of campaigns and drives to raise awareness about liver-related diseases.