FRIDAY, MAY 4, 1979
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DR. THONG SAID A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT UNIT WAS SET UP AT QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL OVER A DECADE AGO AND ANOTHER UNIT WAS RECENTLY ESTABLISHED AT PRINCESS MARGARET HOSPITAL.
+UNFORTUNATELY, THE NUMBER OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS DONE LOCALLY HAS BEEN LIMITED BECAUSE THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT DONORS, HE SAID.
APART FROM THE PROBLEM OF DONORS, SAID DR. THONG, LEGISLATION IN RESPECT OF ORGAN DONATION NEEDED TO BE IMPROVED IN THE LONG TERM.
UNDER THE PRESENT LEGISLATION, HE POINTED OUT, A GREAT DEAL DEPENDED ON THE RELATIVES OF THE DONOR BECAUSE, IN SPITE OF THE DONOR'S EXPRESSED INTENTION TO DONATE HIS ORGAN, IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE RELATIVES TO PREVENT THE ORGAN FROM BEING DONATED AND USED.
IN THE SHORT TERM, THE DIRECTOR SAID, A SUSTAINED HEALTH EDUCATION CAMPAIGN WAS NECESSARY TO MOTIVATE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO GAIN A CLEARER CONCEPT OF KIDNEY DISEASES AND THE VARIOUS METHODS OF TREATMENT, PARTICULARLY THE NEED FOR PROSPECTIVE DONORS TO MAKE AVAILABLE THEIR KIDNEYS FOR TRANSPLANTS.
DR. THONG SAID THAT IN HONG KONG TODAY THERE WERE MANY VICTIMS OF KIDNEY DISEASES AND THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN MAY BE SUBJECT TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH DISEASES WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO LEAD A FULL LIFE OR WHO MAY EVEN BE AT DEATH'S DOORSTEP+.
IN MOST IRREVERSIBLE KIDNEY DISEASES THERE ARE TWO TREATMENT METHODS COMPLEMENTARY TO EACH OTHER RENAL DIALYSIS AND RENAL TRANSPLANTATION.
DR. THONG SAID GREAT STRIDES HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT OF DISEASES BY RENAL DIALYSIS, A PROCEDURE WHICH IN THEORY COULD EITHER BE CARRIED OUT IN HOSPITALS OR IN SPECIAL CENTRES OR EVEN AT HOME.
+HOWEVER, IT MUST BE APPRECIATED THAT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE BEING KEPT ALIVE BY MEANS OF ARTIFICIAL KIDNEY MACHINE IS BOUND TO INCREASE YEAR BY YEAR AND THAT MANY OF THEM WILL THUS BE COMPLETELY DEPENDENT ON SUCH MACHINES, HE SAID.
+THEREFORE, IN ORDER TO ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO LEAD A LIFE INDEPENDENT FROM THE ARTIFICIAL MACHINE AND ALSO TO RELIEVE THE EVER INCREASING FINANCIAL PROVISION OF SUCH MACHINES, KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION APPEARS TO BE THE LOGICAL COMPLEMENT IN THE TREATMENT,+ SAID DR. THONG.
THE DIRECTOR THANKED THE HONG KONG SOCIETY OF NEPHROLOGY AND THE PENINSULA JAYCEES FOR JOINING FORCES WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN CARRYING OUT A VERY TIMELY CAMPAIGN ON KIDNEY DONATION.
+1 AM CONFIDENT THAT THIS TRIPARTITE ALLIANCE WILL PROVIDE THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT THAT MAKES FOR A SUCCESSFUL EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN, HE SAID.
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