The Department of Urology at government-run Osmania General Hospital (OGH) has successfully performed 109 paediatric kidney and urinary tract stone surgeries over the last one-and-a-half-year period, including on infants as young as six months.

“These are surgeries that most often push families into the corporate sector, where each procedure can cost over ₹1 lakh. But at OGH, we are now able to offer the same quality of care at no cost. It is remarkable to see such sophisticated procedures being safely performed even on babies under one year,” said S. Anand, Consultant Urologist, Osmania General Hospital.

The hospital’s paediatric urology programme has expanded rapidly over the past year, aided by infrastructure upgrades and the acquisition of advanced equipment such as paediatric endoscopes, lasers and laparoscopic tools. “We are not only catching up with the private sector, we are making this care accessible to the poorest families,” Dr. Anand added.

Among the advanced procedures carried out were Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PCNL), Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery (RIRS), and Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy (URSL), all of which are traditionally considered complex and high-risk in very young children. In a standout case, PCNL was successfully performed on a six-month-old baby who recently celebrated his first birthday, doctors said.

According to hospital data, the paediatric cases were grouped into three age brackets, 0–5 years, 6–10 years, and 11–17 years and findings showed that minimally invasive stone removal procedures are safe and feasible even in the youngest cohort, provided appropriate instrumentation is used.

Dr. Anand highlighted the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. “With increasing awareness and access, we can prevent complications and long-term kidney damage in children. Our goal is to ensure that no child suffers just because they cannot afford treatment,” he said.