Materia Medica Malaysiana

Many Malaysians ‘not suitable liver donors’

KUALA LUMPUR: Many Malaysians are not suitable liver donors because of the high rate of Hepatitis B infections while some livers have too much fat, said Hospital Selayang Hepatobiliary Surgery Department head Dr Harjit Singh.

He said some donors were Hepatitis B carriers while others showed signs of past infections.

“Livers with more than 30% fat are also not suitable,” he said when briefing Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek here yesterday.

At a press conference later, Dr Chua said there were very few cadaveric donors (brain-dead patients) in Malaysia.

Of the total, 80% were Chinese, 10% Indians and the rest were from other ethnic groups.

Selayang Hospital liver transplant consultant surgeon Dr Russell W. Strong said a holistic approach should be adopted to deal with liver transplants, including looking at the socio-economic background of the related donors and recipients.

“A transplant does not end in operation,” he said, adding that a liver transplant patient had to undergo life-long treatment which costs some RM100,000 yearly.