Claims to racism in kidney transplant dismissed as “untrue”
A 44-year-old Ga-Rankuwa man battling kidney failure has alleged that he was denied a kidney because it came from a white donor.
A 44-year-old Ga-Rankuwa man battling kidney disease has claimed he was denied a kidney because he is black and the donor white.
Cornelius Tsatsi from Tsunami Ext 24 in Ga-Rankuwa said he has been battling with kidney failure since October 2010.
On Saturday 15 August, Tsatsi believed his dream of getting a new kidney was about to become a reality after someone from Dr George Mukhari hospital called him to tell him a kidney was available.
The caller had told him that he, and three other patients, would be tested to determine if any of them was a match.
“I immediately rushed to the hospital to be tested,” he said.
According to him he would later receive another call informing him he was a perfect candidate for the transplant.
“I was so excited. I had been ill for a long time, and I thought my life was about to change for the better,” he said.
He said he broke the news to his wife and other family members.
“They were all happy for me. I had to go to the hospital to prepare for the operation,” he said.
He said he had been told that he would be transported to the Muelmed Mediclinic for the transplant.
“However, when I was about to be transported, the doctors at Dr George Mukhari hospital told me the kidney was no longer available,” he said.
Tsatsi said the doctors told him they had been informed by Muelmed Mediclinic that he could not have the kidney because he was black and the donor white.
“I think I was discriminated against.”
It is not possible that the kidney of a white person cannot function in a black person when tests have proven I was a correct match,” he said.
Hospital manager of Mediclinic Muelmed, Johan Verwey said they were surprised by the allegation.
“We are in no way involved in the allocation of organs donated by any person nor do we perform any organ transplants at our hospital,” said Verwey.
Verwey said a patient was admitted to our hospital and was later declared brain dead. “The family of the patient informed the treating doctor that the patient’s organs are to be donated,” he said. As required, the Pretoria Transplant Unit, an independent organisation, was contacted.
They then coordinated the harvesting of the organs and facilitated allocation. “We reiterate that no transplant surgery is performed at Mediclinic Muelmed. Thus, no arrangement would have been made or any patient be admitted to our hospital for transplant surgery,” he said.
Verwey said it was therefore evident that Mediclinic Muelmed did not play any role in the allocation of the organs or the performance of any organ transplant.
Transplant coordinator at Dr George Mukhari hospital, Sibongile Ndlovu dismissed Tsatsi’s allegations as “untrue”.
“There were some logistics. We called him to the hospital so we can properly explain to him what happened,” said Ndlovu.
Samantha Nicole from Organ Donor Foundation said it was not true that a black person cannot be offered a kidney of a white person.
“Race does not play any part in organ transplant. There are a few issues like blood type, tissue type, weight and most importantly the patient has to be a match,” she said.
She said 65% of organ donors in South Africa were whites and 65% of organ recipients were blacks.
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