Religious leaders agree with kidney transplants
Religious leaders agree with kidney transplants
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian religious leaders have agreed to
endorse the transplanting of kidneys taken from dead bodies as a
means of increasing the supply of badly needed kidneys.
Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security
Soesilo Soedarman, in his capacity as chairman of the National
Kidney Foundation, yesterday hailed the agreement, which was
signed by representatives from major religious organizations on
Thursday.
"Now we're waiting for the religious leaders to issue fatwa
(edicts) on the subject for their followers," Soesilo said during
a symposium to review kidney diseases and the difficulties in
treating them.
"The good news is that the Indonesian Council of Ulemas has
promised to deliver the fatwa within one month," Soesilo said.
He expressed his hope that the agreement would pave the way
for the transplanting of other organs such as heart and liver.
Transplanting a kidney from a dead person is medically
feasible and must be done within 72 hours from the person's
death, he said citing information from the Indonesian medical
profession.
The agreement, the result of an eight-month debate, was signed
on Thursday by representatives from 14 religious organizations,
government agencies and professional associations.
All five state religions were represented: Islam, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. The medical
profession was represented by the Indonesian Medical Association
and the Association of Emergency Doctors while the government was
represented by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of
Justice.
Soesilo said the agreement is timely given the rising
prevalence of kidney failure in Indonesia.
More than 10,000 people are killed in road accidents every
year. Their kidneys, he said, could be donated to those in need.
People with kidney failure currently spend millions of rupiah
just to survive, the minister said, referring to the Rp 200,000
($85) patients have to spend each time they go in for regular
dialysis treatments.
The cost of transplanting a kidney from a dead person is half
of the Rp 10 million to Rp 15 million that is necessary to
transplant from a live donor, he added.
The agreement also stipulates that before a kidney can be
removed from a dead person, doctors must have the consent of his
or her relatives. It also specifically bars trading in kidneys.
The symposium, held at the Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran,
Central Jakarta, ends today. Four Australian experts were among
the experts invited to address the forum.
A three-day workshop on nephrology is scheduled to follow,
beginning tomorrow at Hotel Horison. (31)