DESTINY JOHNSON
Journal Staff Writer

The government’s new organ donor transplant program will be rolled out at “its earliest
convenience,” according to Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Micheal Darville.
“It is a transplant program that is presently being activated. As a matter of fact, yesterday we met
with some of our key team players,” Dr. Darville said on Wednesday as he gave an update on the
program.
“We’re about now to start the training of our nurses in the U.K. and getting everything ready. As
far as the manpower resources are concerned, to start first in the country kidney transplants and
then it would expand to other types of transplant surgery.”
The minister previously indicated during this year’s budget debate that the government expects
to launch The Bahamas’ National Organ Transplant Program before the end of the year.
He said steps are currently being made to get the programme off the ground.
“Well, you know, in the budget, I spoke about trying to get it up off the ground. This year, I know
there are a lot of Bahamians who suffer from end stage renal disease on dialysis,” he noted.
“And our initial approach to organ transplant, particularly kidneys, it’s live donors which means,
if you are in kidney failure and you have a loved one who is prepared to donate a kidney, we try
to investigate whether you are a match and then we put you on our list for possible transplant
surgery, which will improve the quality of life of many of our patients who are presently on
dialysis.
“But I want to make it clear that not everyone qualifies for transplant surgery, and so that’s the
reason why our medical team and surgical team along with our consultants from the U.K. will
begin to see cases the minute as everything is in place and our nurses are trained and go through
the stages where we will start interviewing processes with family and potential donors and see
exactly whether or not you are a true candidate or not.
“This administration is committed to start a transplant program in The Bahamas at its earliest
convenience and the steps are presently being made with our team locally.”