By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A GROUNDBREAKING kidney transplant is set to take place today at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), where a father will donate a kidney to his son, who suffers from end-stage renal disease.

The operation marks the country’s first-ever living donor transplant under the Public Hospitals Authority’s (PHA) newly launched Renal Transplant Programme.

The names of the father and son have been withheld for privacy reasons.

The son has reportedly been on dialysis for the past three years.

At a press briefing held at PMH yesterday, officials emphasised the significance of this medical milestone. Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville clarified that while this is not the first kidney transplant in The Bahamas — similar procedures have taken place at Doctors Hospital and PMH — this surgery represents a new era of structured public care involving local and regional collaboration.

A team of Bahamian specialists is performing the transplant in collaboration with surgeons from Trinidad and Barbados. Dr Darville said the government is committed to expanding the initiative through the broader National Transplant Programme.

He added that after consulting with local nephrologists and transplant surgeons, kidney transplants were identified as a critical component in treating end-stage renal disease, haemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis.

According to a STEPS survey, The Bahamas ranks highest in the region for end-stage renal disease, a troubling indicator driving the urgency of such healthcare initiatives.

In the 2025/2026 national budget, the government allocated $1.59m to the National Organ Transplant Programme, with projections to increase this to $3m in 2026/2027 and $4.5m in 2027/2028. Dr Darville noted that further funding increases may follow based on demand.

PHA managing director Aubynette Rolle said the nation’s healthcare system is evolving to meet the growing and complex needs of its citizens.

“We are building it right here in The Bahamas and, in partnership with regional expertise and global best practices, we are demonstrating that The Bahamas can meet the growing and complex needs of our people,” Ms Rolle said.

To qualify for a transplant, patients must undergo comprehensive medical and psychological evaluations.

Dr Vantario Taylor, consultant general surgeon and a member of PHA’s transplant surgical team, stressed the importance of voluntary donor consent.

“If we get wind that they may be motivated by anything other than the kindness of their heart to donate the kidney, then they’re off the table as a donor,” he said. “A kidney transplant is a gift of life.”

An external review board and committee oversee each donor-recipient pair to ensure transparency and ethical standards.

Dr Taylor also noted that kidney removal is not uncommon, and recovery is generally swift, with patients typically discharged within a week if no complications arise.