Bangladesh’s first-ever cadaveric kidney transplant will be conducted during the ‘Mujib Borsho’ marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
"Hopefully, we can have cadaveric transplant surgery in the country soon. It’ll definitely be during the ‘Mujib Borsho’, and we’ll try our best to carry it out even before the ‘Mujib Borsho’ begins,” said Vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) Dr Kanak Kanti Barua on Tuesday.
He was speaking as the chief guest at a press conference titled ‘Deceased Donor Organ Transplantation' arranged by Society of Organ Transplant at the Jatiya Press Club. Cadaveric kidney transplant is the process of harvesting kidneys from brain dead medical patients.
Dr Kanak Kanti said kidney surgeons and doctors across the country, including the capital, have so far successfully replaced about 2,000 kidneys. “Of them, 557 kidney transplants were completed at BSMMU,” he said. He mentioned that specialist doctors are fully prepared to complete the cadaveric kidney transplant.
Dr Harun-ur-Rashid, founder of the Kidney Foundation Hospital and Research Institute as well as the Society of Organ Transplant, delivered the keynote address. “Every year, 20 million people suffer from kidney diseases across the world with 40,000 of them losing kidney functionality completely. Yet only 20 percent of people receive treatment for kidney diseases and the rest are out of care,” he said.
Dr Rashid mentioned that over 60 percent of people in the developed world are getting a new lease of life through posthumous kidney transplants. “Although kidney transplant and dialysis service have been operational in Bangladesh since 1982, the number of patients has increased over time. The inadequate number of donors is a reason for which living patients are unable to donate kidneys,” he said.
According to a study conducted on 306 kidney donors in the country, 60 percent are patients’ mothers, 34 percent siblings, 2.6 percent spouses and 2.4 percent other relatives.
Bangladesh Renal Association President Dr Rafiqul Alam, Professor Emeritus of Dexel University of Philadelphia Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, Bangladesh Urology and Transplant Foundation President Dr MA Salam and Society of Organ Transplant General Secretary Dr Habibur Rahman Dulal were also present at the programme.