Its new era as 2 kidney patients are back home

By HILDA MHAGAMA

TEARS of joy filled Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) after two young women who had undergone kidney transplant surgery were discharged yesterday. The operation is expected to prolong their life expectancy and will bring an end to several years of grueling dialysis sessions.

Ms Suzan John (22), a resident of Zanzibar and a form four student and Ms Asha Kisebengo (28), an employee of Ubungo Municipal Council, spent 12 days at the hospital, where they were receiving treatment from a team of medical specialists.
The young women are among the four kidney patients who received transplants at the facility from 16 April to 18 April this year, a feat that was accomplished in partnership with experts from BLK Supper Specialist Hospital of India.
“I would like to thank my aunt for donating her kidney to me and medical specialists who made the transplant possible. I underwent kidney dialysis for one year and three months before this transplant,” Ms Kisebengo said.
Tearfully, she said it was God’s plan for her to survive the operation and had given heranother chance to live and fulfill her dreams. Her aunt, the kidney donor, Ms Dafroza Daudi, said she donated her kidney out of love, saying she was ready even to donate both of her kidneys just to save Asha’s life.
The facility has recorded its second kidney transplant surgery which has been described as a success. The first one was conducted on 21 November 2017 to a 30-year old woman, Ms Prisca Mwingira, a teacher at Mikese Secondary School in Morogoro Region, and she is doing fine.
The Head of the Nephrology Department at MNH, Dr Jacqueline Shoo, said they were very grateful to the individuals who made the brave decision to donate their organs. They had given the two girls chance of a new lease of life.
Dr Shoo thanked the MNH management and the government for trusting their abilities to conduct such sophisticated surgeries, over which there would be no need to take kidney patients to India for transplant. “Today, we have allowed them to go home, both donors and recipients are recuperating well and should return to normal activities.
The patients can urinate normally and eat normally; the patient should focus on hygiene, taking medications as directed and eating foods that had been recommended,” said Dr Shoo. Currently, over 200 patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) are undergoing dialysis at MNH, as there are more than 400 patients in other health facilities across the country.
The government was spending over 83m/- for sending one patient and an escort donor to India for a kidney transplant, including medical care and transport. The same procedure cost only 21m/- at MNH. A Nephrologist at MNH, Dr Onesmo Kissanga, said they had 50 kidney patients in their department waiting for transplant services.
“If we put God first, all things are possible, after three months donors will have to come back to the hospital to check their health again and recipients will be required to come once a week for checkups,” he explained.
Dr Kissanga said one patient had left school and another a job due to kidney ailments but after six months, they would be able to lead normal lives and fulfill their dreams.