Kampala, Uganda | NOW THEN DIGITAL — In Uganda’s inaugural kidney transplant, both the recipient and the donor are in robust recovery, marking a significant medical milestone. The meticulous four-hour procedure unfolded midweek at Mulago National Specialized Hospital in Kampala, and Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng conveyed the positive update during a press conference on Saturday.
The successful transplant, a collaborative effort between Ugandan surgeons led by Prof. Frank Asiimwe and a visiting team from Yashoda Hospital in India under the guidance of Dr. A. Sashi Kiran, unfolded on December 20. This groundbreaking achievement, hitherto unprecedented in Uganda, demonstrates the country’s growing medical prowess.
Mark Maurice Kiyemba, the recipient from Munyonyo, Kampala, had endured two years of dialysis, a process involving the removal of waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys falter. Recent studies reveal a 13% prevalence of kidney disease in Uganda, ranging from mild to end-stage, with approximately 2% of the population grappling with end-stage kidney disease.
Pre-transplant counseling and processing, involving the recipient, donor, and next of kin, laid the groundwork for this transformative procedure. Health Minister Aceng emphasized that the government, recognizing the historic significance, covered all expenses associated with this landmark kidney transplant.
The legislative foundation for such medical breakthroughs was laid on March 15 when President Yoweri Museveni sanctioned the Ugandan Human and Organ Tissue Transplant Bill. While this legislation encompasses various organ transplants, the recent triumph singularly focuses on kidney transplantation.
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Leading the Mulago team, Dr. Asiimwe, a consultant urologist and transplant surgeon, provided encouraging insights into the transplanted kidney’s exceptional functionality. Post-surgery, the kidney exhibited remarkable efficiency, excreting substantial amounts of urine. Presently, the recipient produces over 350mls of urine per hour, underscoring the success of the procedure. Both the donor and recipient are on a trajectory of satisfactory recovery.
The significance of this medical achievement was underscored when President Museveni, on Friday, met the surgical team at State House, Entebbe. Health Minister Aceng briefed the President on the accomplishment, highlighting that Steven Mpagi, the brother of the recipient, generously donated the kidney to Kiyemba.
In response, President Museveni extended congratulations to the surgeons and doctors from India, expressing his commitment to supporting their pursuit of self-sustainability. He pledged support for both human resource development and the acquisition of essential medical equipment. Health Minister Aceng, while expressing gratitude for the President’s support, seized the opportunity to request additional assistance in training more kidney specialists and transplant surgeons, as well as the provision of modern medical equipment.
Yesterday, 22nd December 2023, the Maiden transplant team had the privilege to meet H.E. the President @KagutaMuseveni and share their experience of conducting the first ever Kidney transplant in Uganda. pic.twitter.com/5EU6WzarLd
— Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero (@JaneRuth_Aceng) December 23, 2023
