UK deal leads to kidney transplant for local patient

A local patient has become the first Gibraltarian to receive a kidney transplant since the Gibraltar Health Authority struck a deal last year with Hammersmith Hospital in London.

Last year the UK online register for organ donation was opened to those residing in Gibraltar and since then over 480 people locally have signed up to the list.

This has also meant that people needing a transplant in Gibraltar can receive organs from those in the UK, and in return UK recipients can draw on organ donations from Gibraltar.

A few days ago Dominic Francis became the second person residing in Gibraltar and the first Gibraltarian to receive a transplant via this new system.

President of the Gibraltar Dialysis Patients and Friends Association Sunil Chandiramani told the Chronicle Mr Francis has coped well since his kidney transplant.

Mr Chandiramani estimated that there are some five people on the transplant list awaiting kidneys.

He added the news of Mr Francis’s transplant was “fantastic” and that the charity had been “fighting” for Gibraltarians to be included in a transplant waiting list for five years.

“The hard work the charity has put in for the last five years, the battles and discussions we have had which resulted in Douglas Harrison, the former President, writing to UK Secretary for Health Jeremy Hunt is now bearing fruit,” Mr Chandiramani said.

“It is an exciting time as well, as we hope this is the first of many.”

Gibraltar residents can opt-in to the UK Organ Donor Register online via: www.organdonation.nhs.uk.

It is important when signing up to the register to make your wishes known to family members so they can support you in making the gift of life after death.