People dying of ‘bureaucracy’

While he is aware that people in need of kidney transplants were dying, Health Minister John Rahael could only say that his Ministry was doing “everything humanly possible” to deal with the situation. Rahael said the Ministry was still consulting with doctors on the regulations for the Human Tissue Transplant Act (2000). The Act legalises the harvesting, storage and transplanting of organs from cadavers and live donors, but it cannot take effect without the regulations. While kidney transplants are done at some institutions in TT, Rahael said, “It must be a member of the family, once they are tested and determined to be compatible.”

Former health minister Dr Hamza Rafeeq said lives were at stake and the Ministry was not acting with urgency. “This is definitely ridiculous, it can’t take four to five years. The Ministry is being highly negligent in not publishing those regulations.” The need for the implementation of the Act was highlighted by the death of Presbyterian Minister Rev Allison Nobbee last Wednesday at the San Fernando General Hospital at age 57. He became ill not long after returning home from Pakistan, where he received a kidney transplant. In an interview with Newsday in March, Nobbee said he felt compelled to consider his options abroad since “the Government promised to set up renal centres to help renal patients who couldn’t afford it, but that hasn’t materialised.” He was also apprehensive about having surgery locally, after hearing about failed kidney transplant operations.

Rahael expressed concern about TT nationals receiving organ transplants from “someone so far away, out of your own environment. It is not something the Ministry will recommend, while we see the need to get regulations in place.” Rahael said he has given his staff a deadline of this month-end to complete the regulations. He said consultations have been taking place with doctors because there were many issues which must be addressed in dealing with transplants between people who are not related. “I do not want further delays,” Rahael said.

He said an evaluation team has been appointed to look at tenders submitted for the establishment of dialysis centres in North and South Trinidad, each catering for 200 patients. Rahael said the contract will cover construction, equipment, staffing and treatment at the centre. He hoped the outcome of the tender process would be completed by the end of this month and construction completed by next year. While the centres will be privately managed, Rahael said the Ministry will be monitoring and inspecting the facilities to ensure quality care is provided and standards maintained.