News / National
Zimbabweans urged to donate organs
19 Apr 2012 at 12:12hrs | Views
Zimbabweans have been challenged to adopt a new attitude towards donating human organs in light of the shortage of cornea tissue transplant in hospitals as many people are getting blind though the situation can be corrected if the material is made available.
Kelvin Mathias who is 17 years old, is supposed to be writing his Ordinary Levels this year. But his eyes have been affected by a condition called kerato-conus and he is now totally blind.
Medical doctors have told him all that is needed is a cornea tissue transplant. But the problem is, the tissue cannot be manufactured in a laboratory.
It is a human organ and in all its advancements, modern science cannot produce a body organ. It has to be donated.
"I was diagnosed with a disease called kerato-conus. If they manage to get cornea tissue for me I will be able to see again. I'm doing Form 4 but these days, I've not been going to school because of this condition," said the dispirited young man.
But Zimbabweans are a conservative people. If Kelvin had been born in another part of the world, he could be living a normal life as donating body organs can be done easily.
But donating a body organ is taboo in Zimbabwe. This might mean that Kelvin and almost another million people who are suspected to have such ailments in Zimbabwe will live as blind though it is preventable.
A local eye specialist, Dr Archibald Kufa says corneas are easily treated by replacing them with donated corneal tissue but unfortunately not many people are willing to donate their organs.
The doctor said, "We have a big number of people suffering from different conditions that affect the corneas. Most of the conditions are treatable and a person's sight can easily be restored but unfortunately the corneas are not available in this country. Those who have money can import from overseas at a cost of about $2 000."
Dr Kufa says local eye specialists can perform the surgery adding that Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare is fully equipped with the necessary surgical requirements.
What is missing is the real body part, the corneal tissue. And this can only be corrected when Zimbabweans finally change their attitude and make such sacrifices that when they die, their organs should be taken and start another new lease of life somewhere.
Kelvin Mathias who is 17 years old, is supposed to be writing his Ordinary Levels this year. But his eyes have been affected by a condition called kerato-conus and he is now totally blind.
Medical doctors have told him all that is needed is a cornea tissue transplant. But the problem is, the tissue cannot be manufactured in a laboratory.
It is a human organ and in all its advancements, modern science cannot produce a body organ. It has to be donated.
"I was diagnosed with a disease called kerato-conus. If they manage to get cornea tissue for me I will be able to see again. I'm doing Form 4 but these days, I've not been going to school because of this condition," said the dispirited young man.
But donating a body organ is taboo in Zimbabwe. This might mean that Kelvin and almost another million people who are suspected to have such ailments in Zimbabwe will live as blind though it is preventable.
A local eye specialist, Dr Archibald Kufa says corneas are easily treated by replacing them with donated corneal tissue but unfortunately not many people are willing to donate their organs.
The doctor said, "We have a big number of people suffering from different conditions that affect the corneas. Most of the conditions are treatable and a person's sight can easily be restored but unfortunately the corneas are not available in this country. Those who have money can import from overseas at a cost of about $2 000."
Dr Kufa says local eye specialists can perform the surgery adding that Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare is fully equipped with the necessary surgical requirements.
What is missing is the real body part, the corneal tissue. And this can only be corrected when Zimbabweans finally change their attitude and make such sacrifices that when they die, their organs should be taken and start another new lease of life somewhere.
Source - zbc
