Nicosia, Cyprus. A patient who missed a chance for a lung transplant abroad because no air transport was available remains on the waiting list, the federation of patients’ associations (Osak) said on Thursday. Osak said the health ministry is investigating the case.
Health ministry investigation
Osak director Andreas Christodolou said the health ministry is investigating the incident and that it is not yet known whether the transplant would have been possible even if transport had been available. He told the Cyprus Mail that the patient is alive and remains on the waiting list for a matching donor organ.
Call for inquiry and public findings
Earlier on Thursday, Osak appealed to the health ministry to conduct a thorough investigation, identify any wrongdoing, and make the findings public so that necessary changes could be implemented.
Challenges in organ matching and waiting lists
Christodolou said waiting lists are long and that it is difficult to find a matching organ for a lung transplant. Osak said that, as an independent state and an island, Cyprus must ensure the availability of donor organs through relevant mechanisms, ideally without being encumbered by external processes.
Details of the incident
Osak described the case as serious, saying the patient lost an opportunity for life due to organisational inability rather than medical reasons. Due to privacy reasons, Osak said it could not provide further details on the country where the transplant was to take place or how long the patient had been waiting.
On Wednesday, the health insurance organisation (HIO) reported that a patient missed the opportunity for a lung transplant abroad because none of the collaborating air carriers was able to carry out the flight. The incident occurred at 11pm on February 2, when the organisation was informed that a matching donor lung was available abroad.
What changes should Cyprus make to ensure timely transport for transplant patients?