- ANDREW SMITH/PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Michael Kerr, who received a kidney transplant, photographed at The Gleaner's offices at 7 North Street recently.
Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
FOR PERSONS in need of kidney transplants to have a chance of survival, the local kidney foundation will need more donors in addition to having an annual budget of $100 million, health officials say.
They note that several of the estimated 600 people who die each year would be saved if money were available to fund kidney transplants and post-surgery medication.
"We need $100 million per year just to operate comfortably," said Dr. Lawson Douglas, professor of urology, local transplant pioneer and director at the Kidney Support Foundation.
"We want to have a coin drive where companies would ask persons working with them to donate at least $20 from every pay cheque to the foundation. This could raise over $40 million per year."
Experts, such as consultant nephrologist, Professor Everard Barton, argue that kidney transplantation is cheaper than long-term dialysis (artificial kidney treatment) but doctors face an uphill battle in performing them because of the long search for organ donors and the heavy post-operation medication expenses.
USUALLY FREE
Professor Douglas also pointed out that doctors usually do not charge for their services, noting that one transplant can mount to about $300,000. In addition, post-surgery medication to prevent the body from rejecting the new kidney can cost each patient more than US$3,000 ($186,000) per month (if the organ comes from a live donor). If the donated kidney comes from someone who has died, then the cost of the drugs will be more than $30,000 per person per month.
However, based on high post-surgery expenses, doctors have stopped doing transplants from live donors.
"We have put a halt on live transplants. It's not fair to ask people to give a kidney and then do the transplantation knowing that the kidney may be rejected because the person (receiving it) cannot afford medication," Mr. Douglas said.
12 TRANSPLANTS PER YEAR
He said doctors had aimed to do 12 transplants per year but factors such as expenses forced them to do only two last year and none have been done so far this year. With enough funds and organs, doctors can do more than 25 transplants per year, Professor Barton added.
The foundation would also like more Jamaicans to sign donor cards, indicating their intention to donate their organs when they die, so more transplants, like that given to 13-year-old Michael Kerr, can be conducted.
With a smile, Michael reveals his love for cartoons, food and his wish to become a chef. But his mother, Monica Kerr, said these loves, like his life, were nearly snatched away when Michael's kidneys stopped working a few years ago. A kidney transplant in 2002 gave Michael his new lease on life.
"I just want to say thank the Lord for giving me the kidney and to thank them (the surgeons ) for giving me back my regular self," said Michael, who still takes medication to prevent his body from rejecting its new kidney.
