A SEVERE shortage of a critical anti-rejection drug for organ transplant patients is triggering what the Kidney Recipients Support Group of Trinidad and Tobago has described as a “national health crisis,” with some patients now relapsing into renal failure and others forced to purchase the life-saving medication through unauthorised channels.
However, Health Minister Dr. Lackram Bodoe said the situation is expected to be resolved by tomorrow.
In a letter dated June 30 addressed to Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe, the KRSGOTT urged immediate government intervention, warning that the shortfall in Tacrolimus is endangering lives and threatening to undo years of progress in transplant care.
Tacrolimus is essential to preventing organ rejection in transplant recipients. Without it, the body’s immune system attacks the donated organ, leading to potentially irreversible failure. The letter described a growing black market for the drug, with desperate patients paying steep prices for unreliable supplies.
“I write to you on behalf of the Kidney Recipients Support Group of Trinidad and Tobago (KRSGOTT), at a time of grave concern for the transplant community in our nation. Kidney transplantation has given hundreds of citizens a second chance at life. These life-saving procedures however, depend entirely on the continued access to Tacrolimus, the critical anti-rejection drug that prevents organ failure and keeps patients alive,” the letter stated.
“Currently, we are in the midst of a national health crisis. There has been a severe shortage of Tacrolimus in the country, resulting in devastating consequences,” it stated.
The KRSGOTT said that some of its members, including kidney recipients, organ donors, and their families, are witnessing a heartbreaking reversal of hard-won health gains.
KRSGOTT stated that the human and financial toll is mounting.
It stated that Tacrolimus is now being sold through unauthorised channels at unaffordable prices, putting desperate patients at risk.
They further warned that the absence of regular dosages of Tacrolimus has already led to medical complications, hospitalisations, and the loss of previously functioning grafts.
The KRSGOTT said the situation is “urgent and unsustainable.”
“Without immediate government intervention, we risk losing lives and reversing years of progress in transplant care. We respectfully and urgently call on your Ministry to act: 1. Secure and stabilize the national supply of Tacrolimus, ensuring it is accessible and affordable to all transplant patients. 2. Establish a dedicated task force to oversee the continuity of critical transplant medications going forward,” it stated.
In a WhatsApp response to Express, Bodoe stated:
“The matter was addressed and my information is that a shipment came in and the drug will be available to those patients who need as early as Tuesday of this week.”