Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, chronic kidney disease is a significant health burden affecting around 200,000 Mauritian patients. Presently, there are around 1,550 patients on dialysis, comprising around 1,500 patients in Mauritius and 50 patients in Rodrigues.

53 Among these dialysis patients, those who are clinically eligible and who have donors are given access to renal transplantation which not only result in better quality of life, but also ensures cost-savings over the long run. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform the House that after an eight months gap with a number of issues pertaining to functioning of equipment and availability of consumables, my ministry has restarted the renal transplant programme and two patients were operated in April 2025 by a team of surgeons from MIOT Hospital, Chennai. My ministry has also simultaneously established a number of partnerships with renal transplant surgeons comprising the Mauritian diaspora experts and non-Mauritians working in United Kingdom and India to impart the necessary training to our health professionals as well as conduct renal transplant cases in Mauritius. These include Professor Nizam Mamode, who has previously been assisting the renal transplant programme and Professor Derek Manas amongst others. My ministry is now arranging for a different team to come to Mauritius every four to eight weeks to carry out three to four transplant cases over a period of one week. The forthcoming team which is expected from MIOT Hospital Chennai in June 2025, will carry out three cases of renal transplantation. With regard to part (b) of the question that for urgent cases of renal transplant, protocols are increased at hospitals level for the work-up patients and donors. The procedures involve urine and blood testing as well as radiological and cardiac investigations prior to the surgical interventions. In addition, the Renal Transplant Immunology Laboratory at Victoria Hospital, with the assistance of a team from Guy’s Hospital, United Kingdon, has been upgraded to the latest standards. The nuclear medicine department is now also fully functional to carry out advanced renal function test on the donor. I am further informed that for non-urgent cases, kidney transplant surgery from living donors in an elective procedure and needs full evaluation of both the donor and the recipient. Moreover, full work-up and follow-up of donors and recipients are done by medical and nursing staff of my ministry through the Central Health Laboratory, Metrology Units and Dialysis Units. Therefore, patients are listed in order of priority for the next visiting foreign team to carry out the renal transplantation.

Yes, hon. Member!

54

Thank you. Are there any campaigns being carried out by the ministry to raise public awareness with a view to boosting organ registration/donation?

The Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Department has undertaken the work and they are doing it.

With regard to PQ B/498 and B/499, in view of the absence of hon. Dr. Ms Thannoo, I take it that they will be processed as written answers. So, now we go to B/500. Hon. Quirin! NEW CANCER HOSPITAL – PROSTATE CANCER – PATIENTS & SPECIALISTS