Customer Reviews

The Story of the First Kidney Transplant in Guyana, South America: And Lessons for Developing Countries

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I found this book interesting and heart-warming. It shows how one determined person with the help of administrators and local physicians can bring hope to a lot of people. Reading the book, took me into the streets of Georgetown, Guyana, into the village of Munesh Mangal, the central character of the book and then into the operating rooms of the hospital. The book proves that very advanced sophisticated surgical procedures can be introduced into a "developing country" by a determined group of physicians and philanthropists.

Also of value are chapters in the second part of the book, where the author has discussed social aspects of transplantation are discussed which include medical compliance, anxiety and depression in kidney transplant recipients and social networks pertaining to kidney transplantation. The final section of the book will be useful for developing countries which may wish to learn from this experience. The chapters on the economics of peritoneal versus hemodialysis, pre-emptive kidney transplantation for developing countries, health policy for treating renal failure in developing countries and finally commercialization of kidney transplantation - a problem which is increasing world-wide.

An interesting book to read. It combines the human drama, with historical background of Guyana and the local hospital. It also shows how a charity program should be conducted with adequate follow up of patients. So many times, physicians visit a "third world" country and perform surgery or distribute medications without any follow up. This is harmful for the patient and also for the image of the charity. This book should be recommended to all people who work in charity programs and institutions.