The relatives of a 30-plus year old man declared brain-dead after an automobile accident donated his organs and tissues and brought new life to six patients last week.
Guadalajara’s Hospital Civil Fray Antonio Acalde was the scene of the transplants of pancreas, kidneys and corneas. The pancreas and one kidney went to a 27-year-old man, the other kidney to a 19-year-old. The corneas went to two elderly patients. The IMSS Centro Medico Nacional de Occidente transplanted the liver and the heart went to a hospital in Sinaloa. Last year the Hospital Civil received 15 organ and tissue donations and performed 53 renal transplants (six to minors) and 37 cornea transplants.
On the waiting list for cornea transplants are 195 people; 490 are waiting for kidneys. The Hospital Civil is now certified to perform transplants on minors, which under the federal health insurance, Seguro Popular, are fully covered for these operations.
The majority of the medicines prescribed for the flu, meningitis, pneumonia, blood and bone infections, menopause, colic and others, some 106 in all, have increased as much as 93 percent since April 2015. One example is butilhiocina, a medicine used to treat gastrointestinal spasms or gastric ulcers. It’s cost for 10 tablets went from 15.3 pesos to 32.14 pesos in the last 12 months. Another, Aclimafes, used to treat symptoms of menopause is up 50 percent. And amikacina, used to treat meningitis and blood and bone infections, is up 30 percent over the last 15 months. Even over-the-counter medicines have increased in price, although not as radically: Desenfriol D, used to treat flu symptoms is up 37 percent from last year.