Patients relieved as kidney drugs arrive

Patients requiring transplants can breathe easy as Kenyatta National Hospital and pharmacies have been restocked with drugs that prevent organ rejection.

This is after the supplier of PanGraf and Myfortic — the drugs that stop a body from rejecting an organ after a transplant — said they were available.

The Nation, on Wednesday, highlighted the plight of kidney, heart and liver transplant patients who risked organ rejection following the shortage the drugs.

If one fails to take the medicine, the immune system can attack the transplanted organ, leading to death.

The drugs are usually supplied by Europa Healthcare Limited.

Kenyatta Hospital Head of Communications Simon Ithae told the Nation Thursday that “patients can come for the drugs”.

According to director of operations at Europa Healthcare Mohammad Khan, the delay in supply was due to “order quantities, batch sizes and plant maintenance. We have had no issue with our suppliers in India but we can’t comment on others.”

Renal patients Mary Wanjiku and Jeff Magiri said they received text messages from Europa Healthcare to go for the drugs.

Anyone who has had a transplant is required to take the drugs daily for the rest of his or her life.

The Ministry of Health is noticeably quiet on the matter.

Meanwhile, the news of the shortage resonated with many families across the country.

A Nyahururu resident, Mr Kingo’ri Ngari, said he donated a kidney to his son five years ago.

“I want to thank you for highlighting kidney post-transplant drug shortage. We have had a shortage for the last five months for my son,” he said in an email to the Nation.

Mr Furhad Azad, who has just returned from India after his second kidney transplant, called Nation and said he was willing to lend some of his drugs to those without.