Thursday September 27, 2012

Boy’s organs mark Sabah's first donation in three years

KOTA KINABALU: A pair of kidneys from Sabah was rushed to Kuala Lumpur, marking the first organ donation in the state in three years.

The parents of a boy, who was brain dead, had consented to donating their son's kidneys on Tuesday, said state Health Department medical division deputy director Dr Adlan Suhaimi Ahmad.

This came about after a team from the tissue procurement section approached them, he added.

Two patients from here (Sabah) have been sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital to receive the transplant. Only one will get the kidney but the other person will be on standby. - Dr Cheah Phee Kheng

“They gave their consent because they knew the big difference that two kidneys could make to someone who is in dire need of them,” he said.

Regional Transplant Surgery manager Dr Cheah Phee Kheng said the organs would be given to a Sabah patient and another person from the national priority list.

“Two patients from here have been sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital to receive the transplant. Only one will get the kidney but the other person will be on standby should the main recipient's body reject the kidney,” he said.

He also said there were 15,395 kidney failure patients on the waiting list nationwide.

“As for organ pledgers, we have 750 people and are targeting to get up to 1,000 pledgers in our national organ donation awareness campaign next month,” Dr Cheah said.

“We hope more people will pledge their organs because there are lives that can be saved,” he added.

Dr Adlan said there were two types of donors, namely the brain dead and cardiac dead (normal death where both brain and heart has stopped functioning).

“Brain dead donors can donate organs such as heart, kidneys and liver while those who are cardiac dead can only donate their tissues such as cornea, skin, bones and heart valves,” he said.

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Thursday September 27, 2012

Boy’s organs mark Sabah's first donation in three years