Organ transplant program not in disarray, minister says, following patient complaint

Thehealth minister says he's not aware of anyone else having trouble receiving an organ transplant, followinga CBC News report detailing aman's struggle to have his kidney replaced due to staffing issues within Eastern Health.

Health and Community Services Minister John Haggie responded to CBC'sreport about a St. Philip's, N.L., police officer waiting on a kidney transplant.

These people are in demand. We were looking for a specific skill set.- Minister John Haggie

The man, Shane Burridge, said Eastern Health had failed to hire a transplantco-ordinator in a timely manner,which left him relying on dialysis to stay alive.The position was vacant for six months, according to Eastern Health, but has since been filled.

"My understanding is that the individual who occupied that role decided at short notice to leave," Haggietold reporters at the House of Assembly Tuesday, following Question Period.

"Two kidney-trainednurses from the dialysis centre covered the role between them" while the employee was off work, he added.

Haggie said it took time to find a replacement.

"These people are in demand," he said. "We were looking for a specific skill set."

Travel for transplants

Burridge was initially waiting for a kidney under a regional program, which supplies organs from deceased donors.

To increase his chances of receiving a kidney sooner, he also applied to the national Living Donor Paired Exchange Program, which is run by the Canadian Blood Services.

Burridgetold CBC News his wife had sent all the right papers to Eastern Health's transplant co-ordinator to speed up the process,but they ended up sitting on a desk.

Haggiesaid that program generally has a lengthy application process.The assessment phase, he said, can take a couple of years.

"It's a program which is available, but it's one that is challenging, because effectively it makes a well person sick in order to provide a person in need of a kidney, with a kidney," he said.

Haggie said he was not aware of any other issues with that program, and said 20 people had been assessed through the program since the beginning of 2018.

Patients flyto Halifax for surgery,and those costs are reimbursed to the patient through MCP.

"We don't have the critical mass to do transplant surgery locally," he said.

Haggie stressed thatBurridge's case was an isolated one.

"We monitor our transplant list on a regular basis," he said. "I'm not aware of any other significant issues."

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