KUALA LUMPUR: A former lorry driver suffered the same fate as two lung patients who died within a week recently – they had all waited in vain for a donor with a suitable organ.
Maswi Jaya Sukarmin, 47, from Kuantan, who was suffering from end stage heart valvular disease, passed away on Thursday night.
National Heart Institute (IJN) heart transplant coordinator Noorsalina Othman said Maswi Jaya had been on the waiting list for a suitable heart since Feb 13 last year.
During the 18 months on the waiting list, Maswi Jaya was called to stand by for potential transplants twice, but he waited in vain.
The IJN now has four patients on the waiting list for transplants.
The Star has highlighted that two lung patients died recently while waiting for suitable transplants at the Institute of Respiratory Medicine.
Maswi Jaya, who had pledged his organs, did not fulfil his wish as family members objected to the donation of his corneas.
Since the heart transplant programme started in IJN in 1997, 65 patients had been put on the waiting list and 34 have died.
A check with the National Transplant Resource Centre showed a total of 11 cadaveric donors gave their organs and tissues this year. No heart was given.
This article was originally published in theStar Online.
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