By Asemana
Africa-Press – Cape verde. João do Rosário underwent a kidney transplant five years ago in Portugal and hopes that other people can do the same in Cape Verde, now that the law to that effect has been approved, an opportunity that doctors also like.
“After the kidney transplant, my life changed considerably”, João Augusto do Rosário, a journalist by profession, told Lusa, who was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2009, having undergone hemodialysis for the following nine years, until receiving a new kidney in 2018.
During all this time, he was practically “inactive” in Portugal, but returned to Cape Verde and currently resides on the island of São Vicente, where he is from, “with a more or less active life”, exercising his profession and doing things you like.
Even though he was not directly targeted, at least with regard to kidneys, João do Rosário was happy with the approval, on December 8, in the Cape Verdean parliament, of the proposed law on donation, harvesting and transplantation of human organs .
“It will have a huge impact on our country, both at a social, economic and political level”, he highlighted, remembering that a dialysis session, lasting four hours, costs around 250 euros, amounts that the country could save and take advantage of help from Portugal to invest in other sectors.
Now that the law has been approved, João do Rosário hopes that it will be implemented as quickly as possible, to benefit many of the current approximately 300 chronic kidney disease patients undergoing treatment in the country’s two dialysis centers.
“We really hope that the first transplant and several transplants will be carried out in Cape Verde”, said the journalist, who is now only going to Portugal for a “check-up”, highlighting, in an interview, via videoconference, with Lusa, that he feels “very good”.
For the president of the Cape Verdean Medical Association (OMCV), Danielson da Veiga, the law “came at a good time”, although he admits that the first transplant in the country, which will be free, will only happen within five years.
“It’s a first step”, said the surgeon, in an interview with Lusa, in the city of Praia, saying that now it’s time to start making “adjustments” and regulations, leading up to the installation of a center for organ transplantation in the city. country.
“We have to start capitalizing on our system in order to reduce the suffering of patients, who want to be with their family, their doctor and also live their lives with dignity”, he pointed out.
In addition to being an opportunity to put into practice much of the knowledge acquired in the specialty, the president highlighted that it will be a way for Cape Verde to take advantage of doctors in the diaspora and carry out exchanges and partnerships with colleagues from other countries.
“We have to take on this responsibility, if we have experts here, we have partners abroad, why not start?”, insisted Danielson da Veiga, stressing that this could also be another area in which the country can “compete” in the African region. Western, of which it is a part.
“Cape Verde is a country of peace, tranquility and a great force of attracting tourists, [with] the possibility of developing health tourism, which would be a very great opportunity”, he said, noting that, in the region, there are countries with financial and health service structuring problems.
In the discussion of the diploma, the most sensitive point was the issue of consent, which will be presumed, instead of declared during life, for people who have died in an accident or as a result of it.
For the president, this is a “normal and legitimate” debate, but he stressed that the country had to “start with something” and “maintain the momentum” of “very good progress” in health.
“We cannot have everything ready and then approve the law”, he explained, promising to hold clarification sessions for the population, regarding a rule that will now be discussed in the specialty and will come into force six months after official publication.
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