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Kidney transplants to resume at Maligawatte hospital soon
View(s):The National Institute of Nephrology at Maligawatte which had stopped doing kidney transplants for almost a year will resume operations soon, the hospital authorities said.
President Sirisena visiting the hospital. Pix by Sugath Silva
Director Dr. Sumith Ananda said that following President Maithripala Sirisena’s visit to the hospital last week a directive was made to the Health Ministry to have the hospital’s ICU refurbished, immediately. Accordingly he said that it would be ready in two months.
Dr. Ananda said that the hospital started transplant operations in July 2013 and ceased operations in September 2014 due to lack of an infection control facility in the ICU.
He said the ICU was not adequate to accomodate post operation patients who had to be kept in isolation.However he said even with the minimum facility they did 52 transplants during the period, at the rate of one a week. But as they could not continue with the risk of patients being exposed to infection they had to cease operations.
He also said that the doctors and nurses have no proper call rooms and that though the issue was brought to the notice of the Health Ministry no action was taken.
The hospital built at a cost of Rs. 450 million was opened in November 2009 to cater to patients who needed kidney transplants. Even then, it did not perform any kidney transplants for three years due to the need of proper infection control facility.
However, Dr. Ananda said that other treatment facilities including dialysis and cadaveric transplants are continuing on dying patients. He said surgery on live donors was also done as they needed minimum infection control. “There is no risk of infection with dead people and healthy donors,” he said.
The hospital has carried out eight cadaveric and six live donor surgeries in one year. Dr. Ananda said that once the ICU is expanded at least two transplants could be done a week. A proposed new wing is also planned in the adjoining land and the doctors are optimistic that the facility could be used for educational training in renal and transplant specialties and research.
