Agartala, 25th August 2026 : In a landmark achievement for Tripura’s public healthcare system, doctors at Agartala Government Medical College and GB Pant Hospital have successfully initiated Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support for the first time in the state, in an effort to save a critically ill woman suffering from severe paraquat poisoning.
The procedure was performed on August 24 on a 25-year-old woman who had reportedly consumed paraquat, a highly toxic agricultural chemical known to cause extensive damage to vital organs, particularly the lungs and kidneys.
According to the Tripura Health Department, the patient’s respiratory condition deteriorated rapidly, with her oxygen levels falling to nearly 30–40 percent despite ventilator support. As her condition became increasingly critical, she was shifted from the Medicine Ward to the Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) Department for specialised intervention.
With conventional respiratory support failing to adequately improve her condition, the medical team decided to place her on ECMO on Monday night. The advanced system circulates the patient’s blood through an external circuit, adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide before returning the blood to the body. This allows severely compromised lungs to rest while doctors continue intensive treatment.
The CTVS team kept the patient under round-the-clock observation after ECMO was initiated. Doctors said the treatment could provide crucial time for the lungs to recover. However, the poisoning has also severely affected her kidneys, which are currently non-functional. Arrangements are being made to start dialysis in coordination with the hospital authorities, Principal and Nephrology Department.
Medical experts stressed that paraquat poisoning is extremely dangerous and is associated with a high mortality rate. While the patient remains in a critical condition, ECMO has provided an additional opportunity for intensive treatment and possible recovery. Her progress will be closely monitored in the coming days.
The procedure was carried out under the supervision of Dr Kanak Narayan Bhattacharya, surgeon in the CTVS Department. The team comprised Dr Rimjhim Chakma, perfusionists Sujan Sahu and Sourav Tripura, and cardiac OT technologists Ratan Mondal, Sudipta Mondal, Minhaj Uddin, Abhijit Das, Arpita Sarkar, Mousumi Debnath, Sourav Sheel, Anna Bahadur Jamatia, Tanmoy Ghosh, Sagar Debnath and Ankita Chakraborty, among others.
A particularly significant feature of the intervention is that the ECMO treatment is being provided free of charge at GBP Hospital. Similar treatment at private healthcare facilities can cost Rs 20 lakh or more, making the initiative an important achievement in affordable advanced critical care in the state.
The successful initiation of ECMO marks a new chapter in Tripura’s medical capabilities and demonstrates the growing capacity of GBP Hospital to handle highly complex and life-threatening cases.
