All set for kidney transplant

Lusignan teenager Munesh Mangal is expected to undergo the country’s first kidney transplant surgery today at the Georgetown Public Hospital after years of living on dialysis.

Up to press time last night the young man and his mother, who is the donor, were resting and reportedly in good spirits.

A team of medical doctors from the US led by Dr. Rahul Jindal will perform the operation.

The surgery is expected to begin at 9 am and will last between 7 and 8 hours. Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said earlier this week that everything is in place for the surgery noting that all the tests have been positive.

Ramsammy broke the news that the kidney transplant surgery would be done in Guyana two months ago. A number of Guyanese continue to go public with kidney failure stories and the high cost of dialysis.

The Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) is also in the process of assisting with a kidney dialysis centre.