A Study on the Directed Living Non-Related Donor Kidney Transplantation Submitted to the Hospital Transplant Ethics Committee at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

BACKGROUND: In the latter part of 2009, the Department of Health of the Philippines prohibited kidney transplantation with non-related kidney donors. Hence, the National Kidney and Transplant Institute created a Hospital Transplant Ethics Committee. This study describes directed non-related kidney donation at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed the profiles of recipients and directed living non-related kidney transplant donors submitted to the Hospital Transplant Ethics Committee.

RESULTS: A total 74 recipients and donors were reviewed by the Hospital Transplant Ethics Committee in 2014. Donors initiated the talks about being a donor (75%) to repay the good deeds that were done by the recipient for them or their families; examples of which are: sometime in their lives they needed financial assistance for hospitalization for their relatives and it was the patient who paid the hospital bill; or because they pitied the recipient, whom they found to be a good person, thus they would want to give one of their kidneys. Seventy-four (100%) said that they were not expecting anything in return for this act but wanted to be of help to the recipient. Of these 74 cases, 70 cases (95%) were approved and the others were disapproved.

CONCLUSIONS: With a Hospital Transplant Ethics Committee in place, directed kidney donation is a valuable tool as an additional source of kidney donor without violating any ethical issues.