Groote Schuur Hospital Celebrates 2 500 Kidney Transplants

The first kidney transplant was done at Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) in 1967 from a deceased donor.

The renal transplant programme patient and survival rates equal those in the rest of the world. Currently the hospital does on average 61 transplants per year.

Groote Schuur Hospital is proud to be the only transplant centre in the country with a dedicated transplant team. The GSH team was the first to perform HIV positive transplants. There has been a significant decrease in the number of organs available from deceased donors. This is an international and national problem, while the number of patients needing transplants has increased. The number of live donor transplants has increased. This is needed to try and maintain the number of transplants being performed.

Western Cape Minister of Health, Theuns Botha, said: "This year 35 kidney transplants were performed at Groote Schuur Hospital, and last year 34. This province has reason to be proud of the extraordinary operations performed at this hospital."

Minister Botha said world-wide 10% of people suffer from chronic kidney disease. In South Africa the annual incidence is 200 to 400 people per 1 million capita. It is estimated that in the province every year almost 1 500 new patients require chronic dialysis.

The first kidney transplant from a living donor took place in 1970 at the hospital. Between 1967 to 2000 the hospital did an average of 50 transplants per year.

After 2000 that has increased to an average of 61 transplants per year.

As part of the event, patients who have had kidney transplants at the hospital were invited to tell their story. These include, Austin Hankey, who received a transplant in March 1983 from a deceased donor kidney. 

Irene Naidoo, her first transplant took place in October 1968 and her second transplant in 1982. She was the fourth patient we ever transplanted at GSH and is the longest survivor. Then also Abdul Kathrada received a kidney transplant in January 1979, from a living donor, his sister.

He has been very involved with the Transplant Games for many years.

It is always important to pay tribute to the families of deceased donors who thought of others and donated their loved one’s organs at a very sad time. The transplant team really appreciates their kindness and generosity. Also to thank all the live donors who have gone through major surgery and donated a kidney to help a family member or friend.

People are also encouraged to become donors by contacting the Organ Donor Foundation 0800 226611 or go onto the ODF Website http://www.odf.org.za/ to register as donors.

More importantly they need to tell their family of their wishes and that they have registered with the ODF. At the time of the person’s death, the law requires that the family give their consent for organ donation by signing a consent form.