14 kidney donors after Bartolo plea

Fourteen people have so far turned up at Mater Dei Hospital to donate one of their kidneys after the story of renal patient Chris Bartolo that raised awareness on the need for organ donation.

The number of potential donors rose by five since the beginning of April when the total stood at nine – a figure that had then been described as an “all-time record in Maltese transplant history”.

Two people from the original nine donors dropped out, a Health Ministry spokesman said.

The remaining seven Samaritan donors – who arewilling to donate their kidney to any stranger in need – have been assessed by kidney experts andundergone blood investigations and ultrasound examinations. They have now been referred for a psychological review.

“There are at present another seven donors who will initiate the process this week,” the spokesman said. It is not clear yet whether these can be classified as Samaritan donors – living persons who give a kidney to a complete stranger – as this will be determined once they are assessed.

The potential donors have come forward since March 12 when, following the Chris Bartolo case, the hospital urged people interested in donating a kidney to approach the renal unit.

The issue of organ donation sprang to the public’s attention when Mr Bartolo’s former partner, Sarah Borg, placed an advert asking for a kidney for him.

It was a moment of desperation after she saw Mr Bartolo, the father of her 10-year-old son, struggle following a double kidney failure.

She offered €5,000 to cover medical and other expenses incurred, stressing she was not trying to buy an organ. An ethical controversy was sparked over whether money should be accepted.

Mater Dei Hospital’s Live Organ Transplant Advisory Committee held an urgent meeting to decide whether to allow 20 donors – who had offered to donate their kidney to Mr Bartolo – to go ahead with the screening process. It decided this would go against the principle of “distributive justice” adopted when anonymous people, who are complete strangers to the patient, offer to be donors.

The committee said the donors could, however, contact the hospital to start the process of donating their kidney, which would go to whoever needed it most. To date there has only been one Samaritan donation he said. This took place last year.

About 250 people are undergoing treatment at the renal unit and 70 are awaiting a transplant.