Kidney transplants Up to 30 per cent of kidneys transplanted in many European countries have been donated by living relatives of the recipient. In Ireland, two of the 123 kidneys transplanted last year came from the "living related".
Mark Murphy, chief executive officer of the Irish Kidney Association, is calling on the Department of Health to provide the extra funding required to provide operating facilities for kidney donations from living relatives. "The quality of life and life expectancy of those who have transplants is much better than those on long-term dialysis and the costs are a lot less," says Murphy. There are currently 200 people awaiting kidney transplants in Ireland.
Organ Donor Awareness Week begins on Saturday. The Irish Kidney Association is at tel: 01-6689788. See also www.ika.ie
Brain injury seminar
A seminar on brain injury, organised by Headway Ireland, goes ahead at 3 p.m. today in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin. Speakers include clinical neuropsychologist Dr Pat Jansen, who will speak about how a brain injury impacts on the family of the injured person. Headway Ireland, the National Association for Acquired Brain Injury is on tel: 01-8729222.
- Compiled by Sylvia Thompson and Dr Muiris Houston
- Lifelines@irish-times.ie