Galway Advertiser 1979/1979_06_07/GA_07061979_E1_007.pdf 

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KIDNEY DONORS Dear Editor, Further to your Comment (May 24th) I would like to add a few observations of my own on the situation as it is today. The supply of cadaver kidneys in Ireland is pitifully small; of nineteen kidney transplants performed at Jervis Street Hospital last year, only eight were obtained from Irish hospitals. The cadaver kidneys that did be come available in the British Isles were sometimes of poor quality because of poor per fusion of the kidneys for hours prior to removal. The reason for this was that until recently there were no agreed clinical guidelines for the accurate diagnosis of brain death in the donor. The conference of Medical Royal Colleges and their fac ulties in the United Kingdom have now given sanction to a set of clinical assessments that allow accurate diagnosis of brain death (British Medi cal Journal 1976, 2, y.1871188). This advance and the recent addition of kidneydonor cards to driving licen ces in Britain should greatly increase the number and quality of kidneys becoming available for transplantation. There is no legislation in this country governing the donation of kidneys, nor is there any ongoing public ed ucation programme on the great need for kidney donors. This surely must become a priority with the new Minis ter for Health. Kidney transplantation from a lifing donor is only justified when there is a good tissue match between a close rela tive, e.g. brother, sister, father or mother of a patient on haemodialysis. However, anyone may bequeath their kidneys for the purpose of transplantation after death. The person simply informs his family and next of kin of his wish, they in turn inform the doctors looking after him in his final illness of the bequest. Persons with severe brain damage from road traffic accidents, subarach noid haemorrhage or a prim ary brain tumour and who are under the age of 55 years very often make ideal kidney donors. When such a patient re quires the aid of a respirator then the possibility of a kid ney donation should be activ ely considered, written per mission from the next-of-kin should be obtained and the Coroner informed and his permission sought if it is a Coroner's case. Permission should be sought early as dialysis. It is true that this is a assessment of kidney function and tissue typing and arran gruesome subject that most gements for sterile surgical doctors would prefer not to removal of the kidneys are get involved with. However, time consuming. Every hospi mature reflection will con tal in the country should vince most people that the have a fixed routine in the benefits far outweigh the matter and if possible a co inconvenience involved. They ordinating team familiar with can rest assured that they all aspects of kidney assess will have the life-long grati ment, rapid removal, perfus tude of patients avidly await ion and cold transport of the ing a kidney transplant. Yours sincerely, kidneys after removal. Brendan S. Duffy, M D , Medical personnel should Renmore, Galway. be constantly alert to the great service they can be to patients on chronic mainten ance dialysis. One donation obtained allows two patients to come off chronic haemo-

Bank of Ireland The one for all in Galway.

THE ACT O F UNION

Dear Sir, With reference to the article (31st May 1979) by the historian T.P. O'Neill 'Give Ireland a Big Voice in Europe" I should like to t a k e i s s u e with the biographer of De Valera when he states: "The Anglo-Irish Ascendancy preferred to abolish that institution (the Irish P a r l i a m e n t i by passing the Act of Union in 1800 rater than open its doors to Catholic members." While it was undoubtedly t r u e that certain bigoted Protestants preferred extinction of the Irish

Parliament rather than grant "Roman" (Anglicans are Catholics too) Catholics membership it should have been pointed out that the composition of the old Irish P a r l i a m e n t was very different to that of the Dail. Most of the seats were bought and sold between a few powerful families and this oligarchy could be early bought 'en bloc'. Furthermore the Irish Catholic Hierarchy generally favoured the Union hoping for Emancipation afterwards. Trinity College, on the other hand, although divided on the issue, inclined to oppose the Union.

The passing of the Act of Union was a lengthy, complex affair and was first suggested by Pitt in 1785. Mr. O'Neill's simplistic approach to this important event in Irish history on a purely religious basis makes good political propaganda but does little to educate public opinion on this subject. The right to vote is indeed a preciosu one won by 'our* ancestors. But lets not forget that many artruistic Portestants helped the Catholic cause during the past few centuries. BERNARD O'GRADY, 1 Dalton Place, Satthill.

Celtic Congress
The Sixth International Congress of Celtic Studies will be held in University College, Galway, this year between the 6th and the 13th July. This is the premier gathering for those who devote themselves to the study of Celtic languages and literatures, archaeology and history. It is held at The President of Ireland, Dr. P J . Hillery, will open it formally on the morning of the 7th July. The Chairman of the Congress is Dr. Colm 6 hEocha, President of the College.