Kerala - Kochi   

Campaign to promote kidney donation

KOCHI: “I did not donate a kidney to a Hindu, but to a human being”, said Father Davis Chiramel, a priest from St. Francis Xavier parish, Vadanappilly.

Setting an example of how such selfless and humane acts can save a life, Fr. Chiramel has initiated what one can call a voluntary organ donation forum.

Kidney Federation was formed when Fr. Chiramel went in for a nephrectomy to donate a kidney to a patient with end-stage renal disease. Urologist George P. Abraham, who has till date done 1,014 renal transplants, had inaugurated the federation as the laparoscopic machine made incisions on Fr. Chiramel’s body on September 30 to harvest a healthy kidney. The recipient was Gopinathan, an electrician.

There are a lot of doubts in people’s mind about kidney donation, said Father Chiramel at a function organised in his honour at Lakeshore Hospital on Thursday. The Federation would take up State-wide rally in January to spread awareness on the issue. “I would go along with the Yathra so that people can see that a donor has no problems and can lead life as any normal person”, he said.

Ever since the Federation was formed, there have been over 300 calls from end-stage renal patients to find if they can get a donor, said the Father. The campaign would also promote cadaver organ donation, he added.

Since undergoing a major surgery could subject the donor to mental and physical stress, a totally unrelated person who would donate a kidney to save another human being is now subjected to a minimally invasive surgery to harvest a healthy kidney, said Dr. Abraham, who has till now harvested over 500 kidneys using laparoscopic technique. The technique compared to traditional surgery provides minimal scar, short hospital stay and less trauma that helps the donor return to normal life in about 4-5 days. The function at the hospital was attended by Philip Augustine, managing director of Lakeshore Hospital, George Thachil, medical superintendent of the Hospital, Mohan Mathew, Head of the Anaesthesiology wing and the transplant team comprising nephrologists Gerogi K. Nainan and Aby Abraham.

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