Kathmandu: Gender-based discrimination observed in kidney transplantation in Nepal has been highlighted during an interaction on legal arrangements and the implementation status of organ donation after brain death.

During the program, Dr. Kalpana Shrestha highlighted the possibility of preserving and transplanting even the brain within 24 hours after death. She also drew attention to the gender-based discrimination observed in kidney transplantation in Nepal, pointing out that the number of female kidney transplant recipients receiving organs from men is significantly lower compared to the number of male recipients receiving kidneys from women.

In today's society, the prevalence of chronic diseases is on the rise due to a lack of awareness about health and a careless approach towards diet and lifestyle. This has resulted in complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, liver, kidney, and heart ailments.

Dr. Pukarchandra Shrestha, the Director of Shaheed Dharmabhakta National Transplant Center, emphasized the importance of people being aware of their diet and lifestyle choices to prevent diseases rather than having to seek treatment for them later. He expressed these views during an interaction on legal arrangements and the implementation status of organ donation after brain death, which was organized by the center in collaboration with the federal Ministry of Health and Population.

Dr. Shrestha revealed that the transplant center has initiated a social campaign to promote posthumous organ donation, recognizing the urgent need for organs to save the lives of individuals suffering from severe diseases. Many patients' lives can be saved if people opt for organ donation and provide prior permission for the same.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of public awareness, organs that can be used after brain death are often wasted through cremation or burial. Dr. Shrestha suggested the importance of raising awareness among the general public at the community level, as eight organs can be utilized for transplantation from one brain-dead individual.

According to Dr. Shrestha, approximately 1,000 people in Nepal die from brain death each year, indicating the potential for obtaining around 8,000 organs annually. "Eight people can receive the gift of life from a single brain-dead person," he stated. The law now allows transplants to be conducted through 52 different types of relatives, and any healthy person can donate organs.

Transplant specialist Dr. Dipesh Shrestha and nephrologist Dr. Shakti Basnet emphasized the need to raise awareness about organ transplantation in society.