World Transplant Day 2024
Jakarta, IO – World Transplant Day (WTD) is celebrated every June 6. WTD 2024 is themed “Give a Hope, Give a Life”. Indonesia has been carrying out living donor organ transplants since 1977. Currently there are 14 transplant centers, providing kidney, liver, cornea and bone marrow transplant services.
Referring to the progress in the field of transplantation around the world and the formation of organizations at regional and international levels, transplantation doctors in Indonesia formed a organization, namely the Indonesian Transplantation Society (InaTS) in 2017. InaTS continues to provide education to a literate public about transplantation: organs, cells and tissues.
“Transplantation provides new hope for patients experiencing organ failure to remain productive, enjoy a good quality of life, and be able to carry out their daily routines without having to depend on supportive facilities, machines or tools at the hospital. This procedure reduces the complications it causes from organ failure, such as bleeding, seizures, anemia and infection. For liver patients, transplantation can inhibit the loss of gastric fluid and prevent poisoning,” explained Dr. dr. Maruhum Bonar H. Marbun, Sp.PD-KGH, Chairman of InaTS when opening the “Transplant Fest 2024” activity on Sunday (9/6/2024).
He added that from a broader perspective, transplantation lightens the state’s financial burden in supporting unproductive citizens and reduces aggregate health costs.
Stem Cells
On the same occasion, dr. Gerhard Reinaldi Situmorang, Sp.U(K), PhD, Chief Executive of Transplant Fest 2024, stated that Indonesia continues to develop transplant services. Kidney transplants are currently performed on pediatric patients, while liver transplants previously only performed on pediatric patients can now be performed on adults.
“An innovation that is also developing is stem cell services, which are beneficial for patients with hematological diseases or blood disorders. Transplantation is usually considered after all other treatments have failed, and doctors believe that the patient can only be cured through transplantation. The survival rate of recipients is getting higher, thanks to advances in health and medical technology,” he explained.
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After decades, there are still many obstacles in the field of transplantation in Indonesia, especially donor limitations, related to humanitarian ethical codes. Moreover, he emphasized that it is important to remember that this procedure can save the patient’s life.
“We hope that in the future access to transplantation will become wider, as this procedure can save many lives. We hope that people will be more open and interested in becoming donors and will not be afraid of undergoing a transplant if indicated. Those who receive organ transplants have a longer life expectancy, as long as they are able to maintain a healthy lifestyle, adhere to taking medication, and follow treatment according to a doctor’s instructions,” he concluded. (est)