Kidney patients need transplants

Kidney patients need transplants

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Once the government adopts the recent convention on kidney transplantation from corpses, some 1,000 patients could be helped annually.

Deputy chairman of the Indonesian Kidney Foundation R.P. Sidabutar told Antara on Saturday that the "Kemayoran Agreement", established during the last congress of nephrologists (experts on kidney diseases) in September, contains five principles to better help patients.

"It will soon be signed by the relevant health authorities," Sidabutar said.

Some 30,000 people die in traffic accidents every year, and their body parts could be used to help patients if a mechanism to arrange transplants were established, he said.

In the document, the doctors added that no religion is opposed to transplantation of body parts for people suffering from life- threatening diseases.

"Transplants of kidneys will help kidney-disease patients who often have to rely on an expensive and time-consuming program of dialysis," Sidabutar said. (swe)