Mexico Reorganizes its Organ Transplant System

Broadcast: Jan 31, 2003

 

More than 35,000 transplants have been done since Mexico's organ transplant system began in 1963. But desperate demand for donor¹ organs is constantly outstripping² supply.

Last year 4,000 transplants were done, yet the waiting list has ¹⁾swelled to 18,000 and is increasing. Fifteen percent of those on this list, many of whom are suffering from heart problems and liver failure, will die before they reach the operating room.

Now an effort is being made by the Mexican government to better fill the demand for organs by coordinating⁴ transplant programs at Mexico City's two largest trauma⁵ hospitals.

Dr. Arturo Dib Kuri, who is director-general of the National Transplant Center, says that will make organ donations from brain dead accident victims more available.

"This is going to be the first step to obtain organs in these two big hospitals for many of the rest of the national hospitals which need organs," he said.

Problems other than availability of donor organs also plague Mexico's transplant system. One extremely destructive ²⁾myth which permeates⁶ Latin America, concerns children who possibly are kidnapped for their organs. But Dr. Dib Kuri says that the tremendous complexity⁷ of each transplant operation and especially the aftercare to prevent rejection⁸, makes a crime like this impossible.

"I don't know any organization who would be able to support hospital, nurses, physicians, criminals kidnapping people, without any notice in the world. It is not possible," he insisted.

Although the Social Security Institute comprises more than 70 percent of Mexico's overall health services, other smaller organizations are also part of the current ³⁾fragmented transplant system.

This can cause confusion for patients on the national transplant waiting list, because people can be a lot lower on it than they thought. Dr. Omar Sanchez, who is Director of Planning and Coordination⁹ at the Center, explains. "When you are looking for which place a patient is located on this waiting list, you have also to consider that maybe with his institution he is in first place, but in the national waiting list, he is in the middle or last," he said. Forty-one year old Gerardo Mendoza suffers from a rare protein disorder¹⁰ called Sistinosis. He had his first kidney transplant in 1977, and another in 1986. He is now waiting for a third. He explains he has seen many changes in the system during his 26 years of treatment and all for the better. "If you were maybe in a private hospital, you had, before more possibilities," he said. "Now it is equal. The waiting list is very, very good. It is very organized, and we have many things to do, but it is getting better."

The center has recently launched a nationwide campaign issuing six-million donor cards. It also has its own web page to raise public awareness¹¹ of organ donations. For a person who desperately¹² needs an operation to save their life and infinitely¹³ improve its quality, this could be an answer that goes beyond hope and prayer.

For VOA news, I’m James Blears, Mexico City.

 

1)    swell³ to (使)膨胀, 增大

2)    myth[miW]n.神话, 虚构的故事, 荒诞的说法

3)    fragmented[frA^`mentId]adj.成碎片的, 片断的

1 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

2 outstripping   

v.做得比…更好，（在赛跑等中）超过( outstrip的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Demand is outstripping supply. 需求快超过供给了。
• Demand is outstripping current production. 现在需求逐渐超过了生产能力。 来自辞典例句

3 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

4 coordinating   

v.使协调，使调和( coordinate的现在分词 )；协调；协同；成为同等

参考例句：

• He abolished the Operations Coordinating Board and the Planning Board. 他废除了行动协调委员会和计划委员会。 来自辞典例句
• He's coordinating the wedding, and then we're not going to invite him? 他是来协调婚礼的，难道我们不去请他？ 来自电影对白

5 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

6 permeates   

弥漫( permeate的第三人称单数 )； 遍布； 渗入； 渗透

参考例句：

• Studies show that water vapor quickly permeates plastic packaging material. 研究证明水蒸汽能迅速渗入塑料封装材料。
• Democracy permeates the whole country. 民主主义（的思想）普及全国。

7 complexity   

n.复杂(性)，复杂的事物

参考例句：

• Only now did he understand the full complexity of the problem.直到现在他才明白这一问题的全部复杂性。
• The complexity of the road map puzzled me.错综复杂的公路图把我搞糊涂了。

8 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

9 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

10 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

11 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

12 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

13 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。