Specialist decries low number of kidney donors
Specialist decries low number of kidney donors
JAKARTA (JP): A kidney specialist is calling on Indonesian's
to donate their kidneys after death as their are large numbers of
patients waiting for transplants.
"If every citizen is ready to donate his or her kidney we
would not have to look for donors abroad, " R.P Sidabutar said.
Sidabutar added that "our traditions and religions do not bar
people from donating their kidneys."
"What should become accustomed to donating vital organs to the
needy," he said. He added that kidney transplants have become
common practice in Western countries.
He spoke at a symposium attended by about a hundred kidney
specialists, pharmaceutical companies and medical students, held
to mark the first anniversary of the National Kidney Foundation
(Yagina). The foundation is chaired by Coordinating Minister for
Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman.
"Patients with terminal kidney diseases will die within a
short time unless they get a transplant of new, good kidneys
while those suffering a chronic disease can keep alive by the
help of a dialyses machine," he said.
The kidney is a complex organ, he said. The two kidneys
perform many vital functions, the most important of which is to
clean waste and toxins out of the blood, producing urine.
Sidabutar, who is also vice chairman of Yagina and chairman of
the Association of the Indonesian Nephrology Specialists, said
many kidney experts in developed countries have tried
transplanting the kidneys of baboons and pigs into human bodies,
but with few results.
Provinces
He said Yagina will establish other kidney foundations,
especially in the provinces, and an independent institution to
handle the kidney transplant program.
"The non-profit institutions will have a data bank on people
who want to donate their kidneys after death and patients who
need them," he said.
"Kidney transplants are complicated because a recipient's body
always attempts to reject the new organ if it does not match
his/her tissue," he said.
Sidabutar also said a kidney transplant costs between Rp 10
million to Rp 20 million, while dialysis costs more than that
every year.
He said that dialysis does not heal the patient, and must be
used until new kidneys are found.
Sidabutar said the number of kidney patients has increased
since 1961 and the figure today stands at 3,800. He also said
that there are only 200 dialysis machines and 50 nephrology
specialists in Indonesia.
"Ideally we should have had at least 7,600 dialysis machines
by 1990." He cited the price, around Rp 1.3 billion per unit, as
prohibitive. (rms)