More should be done for organ transplant

I REFER to the letter published in The Star on Nov 7 titled “The unsung heroes behind organ donation in Malaysia” (online at bit.ly/4o37tMS), which rightly honours the donor coordinators who shoulder the operational burden of turning tragedy into the gift of life. Their commitment deserves far stronger support.

But while we celebrate these heroes, we must also confront an uncomfortable reality: Malaysia’s system is still failing the majority of people who need it – currently that’s 55,000 kidney dialysis patients.

The latest data is alarming. After a promising surge in August when 5,345 Malaysians pledged their organs, pledges fell sharply to 1,661 in September, a 70% drop, signalling fragile momentum and structural weaknesses.

In September, an estimated 16,500 Malaysians died. Globally accepted benchmarks indicate that 1% could have been potential deceased donors, which works out to 165 donors, enough for 330 kidney transplants.

Malaysia performed four.

This is not merely a missed opportunity, it is a national tragedy. An estimated 21 Malaysians die every single day while waiting for a transplant. That is 630 deaths in September alone. Many of these are young, healthy breadwinners whose families are left devastated.

Meanwhile, only a small minority can travel overseas and pay US$250,000 (RM1.03mil) for a transplant. The remaining patients, over 99%, spend the last five to 10 years of their lives suffering on dialysis, along with their families and caregivers.

This crisis has enormous financial implications as well: Malaysia already spends RM2bil a year on dialysis, projected to reach RM6bil by 2040 – a burden the country cannot continue to bear.

If we truly want to honour the unsung heroes highlighted in the letter, we must build a system that enables them to save the lives they are trained to save. This requires a fresh, creative, whole-of-nation strategy; stronger structure, digital coordination, and family engagement; professional pathways and resources for donor coordinators; and policies that ensure every pledge becomes a promise fulfilled.

The Health Minister has committed to bringing organ transplantation to next year’s Asean Health Ministers’ Meeting in Langkawi. There is no time to delay when 21 Malaysians are dying every day while waiting.

RAVINDER SINGH

Petaling Jaya

The writer collaborates with surgeons, patient advocates, and technical solution creators to improve Malaysia’s transplant system.