Children to have liver transplants in NZ

By KATHERINE HOBY

Young children needing liver transplants can now have them done in New Zealand, rather than having to go to Australia.

The director of the New Zealand Liver Transplant Unit, Professor Stephen Munn, said that about six young children a year had travelled to Brisbane for liver transplants.

All adult liver transplants for New Zealanders had been carried out in this country since 1998.

And from this month, even very young children, who had previously gone to Brisbane, would also get their transplants here.

Te Puke boy Campbell Jones needed an urgent liver transplant in 2000.

Within a week of his liver starting to fail, he was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

His mother, Kim Jones, said at the time that the trip had interrupted the family's whole life.

"It's wonderful that families now will not have to make that trip," she said.

"There's enough to think about in that situation as it is. This is a great thing for New Zealand kids and families."

Australian newspapers said this week that 262 of the 711 liver transplants carried out since 1985 at Queensland's Princess Alexandra Hospital were performed on foreign nationals, mainly from New Zealand and Japan.

But in response to a question tabled in Parliament, Queensland's Health Minister, Wendy Edmond, strongly denied that rich foreigners could buy their way to the top of transplant lists.

"Australian patients have absolute priority," she said.

The hospital had offered "spare" livers to foreigners and charged $180,000 to cover costs.

Professor Munn said New Zealand and Australia had an organ-sharing arrangement, which worked on "a need basis".

"Our arrangement is based on who is the most urgent case. The first suitable liver that comes up goes to the patient most in need - whether they live in Australia or New Zealand."

Before 1998, about 22 adults a year would travel to Australia for liver transplants.

Professor Munn said $180,000 was a reasonable cost for a transplant in Australia.

A liver transplant in New Zealand cost $140,000.

nzherald.co.nz/health