Kathmandu, Dec 16: Patients needing organ transplants and donors can now access information online. The Ministry of Health and Population, in collaboration with the Department of Health Services, Teku, and the Shahid Dharma Bhakta National Transplant Centre, has launched the online service. Minister of Health Pradip Paudel today inaugurated the service amidst a special program.
Minister Paudel mentioned that the ministry is working to expand the service so that citizens across the country can benefit easily. “98% of kidney transplant patients and 90% of lung transplant patients are leaving with normal lives. We are committed to further expanding transplant services. Currently, apart from the center in Bhaktapur, kidney transplant services are provided at government hospitals in Pokhara, Surkhet, and various regional hospitals, including Bhairahawa, Dhangadhi, and Bharatpur,” he said.
Through the online system, organ donors can now register, and those in need of transplants can access related information. When brain death occurs, the information will be immediately updated online, allowing hospitals treating transplant patients to receive immediate updates, as explained by Dr. Pukar Chandra Shrestha, the head of the Shahid Dharma Bhakta National Transplant Centre.
Over the past 12 years, the Shahid Dharma Bhakta Centre has successfully performed 1,335 kidney transplants and 30 lung transplants. Despite the center being the only government facility dedicated to transplantation, it has been able to provide kidney transplants to only about 200 patients out of a target of 3,000 annually.
Due to a shortage of donors, other hospitals can only perform organ transplants for around 100 patients. Living donors can only donate to family members, but after brain death, the number of donors is low, causing many patients to lose their lives due to a lack of donors.
With the growing number of donors, patients, and hospitals, the online system is expected to provide real-time information, helping to save many lives, according to Dr. Kalpana Shrestha, a kidney specialist at the center. “The integrated online system makes it easier for both hospitals and patients. We believe many will benefit from this,” she added. #nepal #kidney #transplant
