A hospital specializing in organ transplants will be set up in Madagascar

A hospital dedicated to organ transplants will soon be set up in Madagascar, according to a decision taken by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday in Iavoloha.

A committee including legal, social, scientific entities and professionals in medical and social ethics is currently drafting a bill relating to this mode of treatment, according to the Minister of Public Health, Pr Julio Rakotonirina . The bill will be presented to the Ministry of Public Health, which will submit it to the Council of Government. Then, it will pass to the level of the Council of Ministers and will be submitted to the vote of the National Assembly and the Senate. The establishment of this hospital will be planned for 2023, the specialists in the field would already be ready according to the minister.

“This is a specialized hospital that will allow organ transplants to be performed in our country. A large number of patients requiring an organ transplant are forced to go outside, the replacement of a damaged organ, such as the liver or the kidneys, cannot be practiced here. However, the cost of a medical evacuation is very high, ”explains the minister.

In any case, this new bill risks fueling once again the wild rumors about organ thefts in the country. But the Minister reassures: “Before any transplant, there are medical, surgical and biological conditions to consider. Organ trafficking is impossible in Madagascar, due to the complexity of storage conditions. It is also necessary to make preliminary examinations to know if the organ is compatible with the recipient, because there is the phenomenon of rejection. »

“Many conditions must be met before this medical feat can be achieved. There are social, moral and medical considerations to observe. For example, will an individual be able to agree to donate his organ or not, ”continues Professor Julio Rakotonirina.

During this last Council of Ministers, the rehabilitation of the infrastructure of public hospitals in the capital and the provision of medical equipment in the emergency services were discussed.