8,000 Kidney Patients Waiting for Donors: MP Pratima Gautam

Pratima Gautam, a member of parliament from the Nepali Congress, has drawn the attention of the government toward problems facing kidney patients in Nepal.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Sunday, she said about 8,000 patients with end-stage kidney disease across the country are waiting for organ donors.

She said, “Ninety percent of patients in the final stage of kidney disease lose their lives because they cannot get organ donors. Only about 10 percent get transplants. Many are dying while waiting for organs.”

She added that many patients depend on dialysis because for want of donors, which makes their physical mental, and financial condition worse every day.

The government had made rules in 2016 allowing organs to be taken from people who are brain dead. But these rules have not been fully put into practice, which delays help for patients.

She said the government spends about 150 crore rupees every year only on dialysis. Transplant is a better option to improve patients’ lives and reduce government costs.

The law says organs should be distributed to the needy in a fair manner by setting up a coordinating unit, to no avail.

Gautam called on the government to make the brain death program effective and quickly implement the law to help kidney patients get transplants and save lives.