Q: My 21-year-old friend has been diagnosed with kidney failure. Is it legal to have a kidney transplant? What will be the approximate cost to carry out this operation? Her mother and brother have agreed to donate their kidneys.

A:Yes, it is legal to do a transplant with family members as donors. The cost in a private hospital could be Rs 2.75-3.50 lakhs and in a government hospital it could be approximately 1.0-1.5 lakhs.