Accreditation of Centers: Criteria and Requirements

• Eligible Centers:
• Only Indian centers registered with LTSI and ILTR are eligible.
• The fellowship is single-center based, with eligibility reviewed every five years.

• Application Process:
• Centers must submit an official application form (signed by the Program Director/Chairman and Hospital CEO/Medical Superintendent/DMS) along with a fee of Rs. 10,000.
• The application confirms the center’s accountability regarding case volume, infrastructure, and the presence of a dedicated transplantation team.

• Training Infrastructure:
• Accredited centers must facilitate rotations in allied departments (Transplant Hepatology, Diagnostic & Interventional Radiology, Histopathology, Gastroenterology) to ensure a holistic training experience.
• Each center must perform a minimum of 50 liver transplants annually (with allowances for COVID-affected years) and provide exposure to both LDLT and DDLT procedures.

• Faculty Requirements:
• There must be at least one Lead Transplant Surgeon and one additional Senior Surgeon to supervise fellows.
• The Chairman/Director and at least one teaching faculty member must be LTSI members.

• Renewal Guidelines:
• A regional inspection committee (comprising the LTSI President, Secretary, and regional members) will review the fellowship places and case volumes every two years to ensure compliance and quality.

• Fellow Intake:
• A maximum of two candidates can be accepted per center per year. In centers with reduced case volume (less than 50 cases annually), candidates may be rotated to another eligible center to ensure adequate exposure.

• Fellowship Duration & Funding:
• The program is two years in length, with fellows receiving a monthly stipend/salary from the center.