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Written By: DNA syndication | Updated : March 13, 2014 7:19 PM IST
Mar 13 World Kidney Day
It has been about an agonising 15-year wait for 47-year-old Manjunath G, a native of Mysore. Manjunath is waiting for a kidney donor. Diagnosed with renal failure in May 1999, Manjunath has tried every possible option. His family members and relatives were more than willing to donate of of theirs, but something or the other would invariably go wrong. Either the blood group wouldn't match, or the age difference would be far too much. His deteriorating health condition finally forced Manjunath to quite his job as an LIC agent in 2009.
Says Manjunath, 'Initially, I had high blood pressure and a high sugar level. Now, I have to undergo dialysis twice a week. I have two daughters, and my father who is a retired government teacher looks after them as well as my medical expenses. Many from my family had come forward to donate a kidney, but nothing worked. I have registered with the Zonal Coordination Committee of Karnataka for Transplantation (ZCCK), and am waiting for a matching kidney donor. Since it has already been quite long for me, I hope to get a donor soon. Or else, my survival will become difficult.'
Manjunath's case is one among many. Despite awareness, the wait for kidney donors is the longest among all organs that are donated. According to ZCCK, 910 persons undergoing dialysis currently are waiting for kidney donors in the state. There are some, like Manjunath, who have been waiting for 10-15 years. The transplant coordinator at ZCCK says whenever there is a cadaver donation, they coordinate the organ donations depending on the wait period and matching blood groups.
At the Nephro-Urology Institute at Victoria Hospital premises, on an average, there are about 1,200 patients undergoing dialysis every month. Dr Kamath, medical superintendent at the institute, says, 'Awareness is still low. Regular health checkups are necessary so that the problem is detected at the initial stage itself and patients need not undergo kidney transplantation.' The waiting period for kidney recipients is very high in Karnataka. For those having O-positive blood group, the waiting period is usually over five years. Often, patients lose hope and plunge into depression. Awareness levels over cadaver transplantation is low as well. Few voluntary organisations have started awareness programmes, but the response from the government is still not satisfactory, says Dr Anil Kumar, consultant nephrologist at BGS Global Hospitals.
Source: DNASyndication/ By Luna Dewan
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