A BILL was recently tabled in the National Assembly which, when enacted, could potentially result in several persons currently on dialysis due to kidney failure benefitting from organ transplant. The Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Bill is yet an important piece of legislation which will provide the regulatory framework to enable the country to perform cadaveric transplantation, which is the transplant of organ or tissue from “braindead’ individuals to living persons.

This legislation will allow for persons who are willing to donate kidney after they die to do so in a safe and legal environment to other patients in order to allow them to live a normal life. According to Dr Kishore Persaud, Department Head of the Multi-organ Transplant and vascular Access Surgery of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), there are hundreds of patients who are on dialysis, which is one of the most expensive treatments and the mortality and morbidity as a consequence of being on dialysis are severe. Many of these patients simply cannot afford the cost of treatment and are left to the mercy of family members and other donors.

Passage of the new legislation will mean that persons in need of organ donations would no longer depend only on relatives and friends who may or may not be compatible, but could enjoy a better quality of life by way of organ transplants. The bill caters for the establishment of the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency as the national regulatory body for donation and transplantation. A National Donor and Transplant Registry will also be established which will deal with all matters relating to consent.

The registry will be responsible for the establishment of a register of patients in need of transplants, as well as the establishment of efficient storage facilities for organs, cells and biofluids. It also makes provisions to guard against human-organ trafficking and prohibits the sale and\or trade of human organs, tissues, cells or biofluids for the purpose of making money. A jail term of five years as well as a fine of $5 million will be imposed on those found to be in violation of the Act. The bill also stipulates that removal of organs will not be done unless the donor is pronounced dead by two medical practitioners.

This is indeed forward-looking legislation which will go a far way in realisation of the government’s objective to provide a high-class health care system, second to none in the Caribbean. Guyana has come a far way in terms of several new medical interventions, including organ transplants and other advanced forms of surgical operations. Regrettably, plans to establish a state-of-the art medical facility in Georgetown was aborted by the previous APNU+AFC administration, but the new PPP/C administration has committed itself to modernise the health care system with emphasis on primary health care. Many of the illnesses that developed later in life could have been avoided had there been a greater awareness of the benefits of practising healthier lifestyles such as eating habits, regular exercise and avoiding the use of excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. Diabetes in particular, even though in many cases hereditary, is manageable and need not result in kidney failure if properly managed.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has called for a new culture of healthcare administration and has indicated that his administration is committed to providing first-world health care services throughout the country. The government, he said, will continue to support primary healthcare, but there will also be room for private healthcare to flourish, since it will help to enhance economic development. According to the President, the country has already received a number of proposals from across the world for the development of private healthcare facilities.

Guyana has made significant strides in terms of primary health care and despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health indicators have shown some positive improvements, as indicated by better longevity rates and a reduction in communicable and non-communicable diseases. The records will show that people in Guyana are living longer and healthier lives. The new bill to allow for organ and tissue transplants is yet another step in the direction of a better quality of life for which the government must be commended.