Dakar-Senegal

Saturday December 09, 2023

Three kidney patients successfully transplanted in Dakar

Senegal has successfully completed its first kidney transplant. The procedure was carried out by a consortium of local doctors from the Aristide Le Dantec and Ouakam Military Hospitals in Dakar.

The first beneficiaries are three patients, one man and two women, who were suffering from kidney failure. The patients underwent successful operations and each received a kidney from a donor family member, in accordance with Senegalese law.

“Each operation cost between 7 and 10 million Fcfa, with the Ouakam military hospital fully covering the costs. This was done with the support of the Senegalese army’s Chief of Staff,” says Professor Boubacar Diao, Colonel and Head of the Urology Department.
The Ministry of Health and Social Action is currently studying the type of subsidy that will be granted by the State to the next patients to undergo a kidney transplant. The announcement was made by Dr Fatou Mbaye Sylla, Director of Senegal’s Health Establishments.
This unprecedented kidney transplant is the result of a long process. “We’ve been working on this project since 2015 and we’ve been gradually setting up the infrastructure. After that, we had to set up the operating team,” explains Professor Diao.

The first kidney transplants were carried out by Senegalese doctors in collaboration with Turkish doctors. But this will not be the case for future surgeries, according to Professor Diao.
“The next transplants will be carried out exclusively by Senegalese doctors. Because in this Ouakam hospital, we carry out the largest number of prostate cancer operations in the West African sub-region. And this surgery is more difficult than a kidney transplant,” says Professor Boubacar Diao, Colonel and Head of the Urology Department.
He adds that the most difficult thing is to achieve good coordination between the various specialists involved.
After this successful transplant, donors and recipients will benefit from follow-up care. According to Professor Maria Faye, nephrologist at the Ouakam military hospital: “The donor will be monitored, even if there’s no risk of him developing a disease. For the recipient, however, close monitoring is required, especially for the first six months. The graft must be regularly assessed”.
The Senegalese doctors in the Consortium say they are ready to share their experience with their colleagues in the sub-region who want to carry out organ transplants. People suffering from kidney failure represent around 5% of the Senegalese population.

Youssouph BODIAN- Correspondent Humaniterre – Senegal