Shortage of transplant surgeons is addressed ahead of organ donor week
The shortage of surgeons and the less than ideal hospital conditions driving young doctors abroad have been addressed by the chairman of the Westmeath branch of the Irish Kidney Association (IKA), Eddie Flood.
He was speaking at the launch, at the Greville Arms last Thursday, of Organ Donor Week, which runs from March 28 to Saturday April 4.
“2014 wasn’t a great year for organ transplant. The situation in Beaumont is improving slightly but there is a shortage of surgeons who carry out the necessary transplants,” said Mr Flood.
While he announced that the HSE has set up Organ Donor Transplant Ireland, which has co-ordinators based in all five acute hospitals, and which he hopes will lead to more transplants, Mr Flood feels long working hours and conditions are encouraging young doctors to emigrate.
“I heard on the radio the other morning that 50% of interns surveyed said they would definitely be leaving the country after their education was finished, which I think is a terrible shame. And the other 50% are actively thinking about it.
“So we’re educating people to export them, which has been happening for the last nearly 10 years. Our best are leaving our shores and they’re not going to come back. Hopefully things will happen before that will change their minds. It’s not just purely financial – it’s conditions in some of our hospitals and the working hours that are not good, and people see that and they want a better way of life. Hopefully things will change in the near term.”
Despite this, Mr Flood said that within Westmeath, there were two living donor transplants last year, brother to brother and sister to sister, and he was glad to report that both pairs are thriving.
“We remember our donors this week and every week and every day, because without donor families making that decision, there would be no transplants available.”
Officially launching the week was Cllr Paddy Hill, cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, who took the opportunity to urge everyone to carry a donor card.
“All of us know somebody who has benefited from the generosity of others through a donation of organs. Even if you’re gone, or your loved one is gone, you have the satisfaction of knowing that they gave the gift of life to somebody else,” said Cllr Hill.
Also speaking at the launch was Ruth Illingworth, who has known people that have benefited from the “gift of light”.
“We’re talking about a gift here, the greatest gift that any person could give to anybody, it’s the gift of life and good health. I know people who have endured years of dialysis and one person I know, thankfully, after many years of waiting, received that gift of life from a donor,” said Ruth.
“It’s only just over 60 years since the first kidney transplant was carried out in the world. We are lucky now that we have the medical technology to do this and I hope the number of operations can be increased in the country over the next year or two because I’m aware of how long that waiting list is.
“As somebody who knows relatives who have benefited from kidney donors, I very much hope that this week will be a success in encouraging people all across this county to take donor cards to sign up.”