XN000022-1978-02-01 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1978

CALL FOR KIDNEYS AND EYES DONATION

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THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. K.L. THONG, TODAY APPEALED TO THE PUBLIC TO DONATE THE IR KIDNEYS AND EYES FOR USE IN TRANSPLANT OPERATIONS.

HE SAID NEW VENTURES INTO ANY SPECIALISED FIELD OF MEDICINE SUCH AS KIDNEY AND CORNEA TRANSPLANTS COULD SUCCEED ONLY IF THE PATIENTS, THEIR RELATIVES AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE ARE PREPARED TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.

DR. THONG WAS SPEAKING AT THE ROTARY CLUB OF ISLAND EAST LUNCHEON MEETING THIS AFTERNOON ON THE SUBJECT: +OF KIDNEYS, EYES AND MEN+.

THERE ARE EXPERTISE AVAILABLE IN SPECIALIST UNITS OF GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS AND HE HOPED THAT THEY ARE NOT WASTED.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS DONE LOCALLY HAS BEEN QUITE LIMITED.

+THIS SEEMS ALL THE MORE A PITY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ORGANISATION, THE EQUIPMENT AND THE EXPERTISE TO PERFORM SUCH OPERATIONS BUT SADLY LACK THE DONORS, HE SAID.

HE SAID ALTHOUGH THE EXISTING LAW PROVIDES FOR THE USE OF PARTS OF BODIES OF DECEASED PERSONS FOR THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES AND FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET THE CONSENT OF THE RELATIVES OF THE DECEASED.

+THIS HAS OCCURRED QUITE FREQUENTLY WHEN RELATIVES HAVE BEEN ASKED, AND THE REFUSAL HAS OFTEN BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH DISBELIEF AND SURPRISE ABOUT BEING ASKED AND A RATHER LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT WAS INVOLVED, HE ADDED.

THE DIRECTOR SAID THERE WAS THUS A GREAT NEED TO PERSUADE POTENTIAL DONORS AND THEIR RELATIVES TO SUPPORT THE IDEA OF KIDNEY AND CORNEA DONATIONS WHICH IS +AMONG THE MORE WORTHWHILE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND CERTAINLY ESSENTIAL TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM+.

HE SAID IN THE PAST IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT THE LACK OF DONORS WAS DUE TO LACK OF EDUCATION.+

HOWEVER, HE SAID, HEALTH EDUCATION WAS NOT SIMPLY A ONE-WAY PROCESS OF IMPARTING KNOWLEDGE. IT WAS, IN FACT, A COMPLEX PROCESS WHEREBY A RADICAL CHANGE IN INGRAINED ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOURAL PATTERNS OF A COMMUNITY HAS TO BE ACHIEVED.+

IN ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE THE BASIC ATTITUDE AND TRADITIONS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE SIMPLE IMPARTING OF KNOWLEDGE IN A SPORADIC AND +FLASH IN THE PAN+ FASHION IS NOT LIKELY TO PRODUCE ANY GOOD OR PERMANENT EFFECTS, SAID DR. THONG.

/+THERE HAVE