Filenews 18 February 2023
Cyprus ranks 16th in relation to kidney donation from a living donor, out of a total of 85 countries that provided data, the Minister of Health, Michalis Hatzipantelas, said on Friday at the opening of the Transplant Clinic "Dr. George Kyriakides" of the Nicosia General Hospital.
He noted that to date, the Transplant Clinic has successfully performed 263 transplants, 179 living donations, nine incompatible transplants and eight paediatric transplants, adding that the Ministry of Health and the Transplant Council are making continuous efforts to upgrade and develop existing procedures and projects.
In his speech, Mr. Hatzipantela said that "another clinic has been upgraded to better serve our patients and provides high quality services by remarkable and renowned scientists"
The Transplant Clinic is dedicated to the memory of "the excellent scientist Georgios Kyriakides, who associated his name with the awareness of our fellow citizens in organ donation for the purpose of transplantation", said Mr. Hatzipantela. He noted that Dr. Kyriakides, who studied medicine in Israel and the USA and specialized in general surgery and organ transplants, especially kidney transplants, returned to Cyprus in 1986, where he created and directed the Paraskevaides Transplant Centre in Nicosia "and put Cyprus on the world map, having the most transplants per population in Europe".
Addressing the family of Dr. Kyriakides, he said that "it is no coincidence that he is considered the founder of transplants in Cyprus", while with this action, the State pays tribute to him for his selfless contribution to society.
Mr. Hatzipantela noted that, along with the upgrade of the Transplant Clinic and the increase of beds, "the Ministry of Health and the Transplant Council are helping in this effort to provide upgraded services to our fellow kidney patients". In addition, he said, the creation of software for the allocation of organs from post-mortem donors in the field of transplants, the introduction of innovative surgical techniques such as laparoscopic nephrectomy, allows for faster recovery, shorter duration of hospitalization of the donor, faster return to his daily routine, and the introduction of protocols for the monitoring of transplanted patients.
Also, he added, the amendment of the legislative framework, the modernization of the Cypriot Legislation as well as its harmonization with the corresponding European Directive, and the creation of the National Register of Potential Organ and Tissue donors, "are the tools used for the development of the Transplant Clinic". It is also important to mention, he noted, that the Transplant Clinic "Dr. Georgios Kyriakides" is supported by the Laboratory of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, which in October 2022 obtained an accreditation certificate from the EFI Organization.
Mr. Hatzipantela also said that in Cyprus today more than 1000 patients are on dialysis, while only 20 kidney transplants are performed annually, "which ranks our country in 16th place in relation to kidney donation from a living donor, out of a total of 85 countries that provided data". Also, Cyprus is in 48th place in relation to kidney transplantation from a posthumous donor, according to the data available for the year 2020, he added.
"Nevertheless, the Ministry of Health and the Transplant Council, always in a climate of cooperation and dedication, make continuous efforts to upgrade and develop existing procedures and projects," he said.
He also referred to the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the corresponding Ministry of Spain in order to cooperate on transplant issues.
"Already the Medical Services and the Transplant Council have contacted the National Transplant Agency of Spain and are in cooperation both to exchange expertise and to plan actions to better organize transplants in Cyprus," he said.
The Minister also stressed the importance of organ donation for transplantation, an "authentic universal value", which everyone must embrace, demonstrating their philanthropy, he noted.
"Through this act, we will create a society with fewer inequalities and more justice, resulting in a positive impact and impact on the lives of our fellow human beings, offering our fellow kidney patients a second chance at life," he said.
Thanks to the Minister for the cooperation of all during his term of office
Finally, the Minister thanked the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, the Administration and Directorate of the SHSO, all the health professionals as well as the patient associations "for the excellent cooperation" they had during these 19 months "where we have achieved a great deal for the Health sector" and gave the assurance that he will continue to be by their side on the front line for the good of the patients.
