Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

I have just been reading the article about bone marrow doners in the Kibkom Times. Can anyone please explain to me,why do you have to be a CITIZEN here, before you can donate?

Obviously no one can find a reason either!!

Well I'm flummoxed!
I don't know what to say or think.

The argument I had form the Kemal Saracoglu foundation is that the register has to be of people who wil be permanent here, and to take any others when they may disappear means it can be a waste of time putting them on the register (students and ex pat 'swallows' etc). Some of us tried to argue the point that it is more often citizens hwo go for work elsewhere who may leave, but that is the ruling.

Maybe it is time for those who care and wish to help to make their views known. If anyone wanted to express them strongly in an e mail to me, perhaps I could collate and get them to Kemal Saracoglu foundation for them to try to persuade the government to see what they are missing. apparently each time someone is tested it costs quite a bit of money. Berke of Lapta Belediye is very conversant with all this as he organized several sessions to try to find a match for Burcu. There was several students who came and were turned away.

Definitley time for a change. I believe that such a law does not exist in U.;K, and also strangely the age limit here is higher than in U.K. Maybe it is time they got a bit more universal .

Anythoughts anyone?

Marion, I'll try to stay on track here. However, if the TRNC Government will not accept that routine annual xrays and blood testing of expats for TB screening is against the accepted medical advice and common practice throughout the civilised world, what chance it will listen to even more common-sense medical views. My wife and I both registered with the Anthony Nolan Donor group whilst in the UK and as an ex-Serviceman, I was hardly ever there: still stayed on the Register though and could have given a sample at any time if requested. Whatever, bon chance with any initiative to get the Minster of Health to see reason - currently it is his/Cypriots potential loss!

Thanks for the replies, seems I am not alone after all in thinking this is a ridiculous ruling I suggest we do as Marion asks and send an e-mail to her expressing our concerns. It will probably do no good, but if we don't try, it will definitely do no good!!

tomsteel wrote:However, if the TRNC Government will not accept that routine annual xrays and blood testing of expats for TB screening is against the accepted medical advice and common practice throughout the civilised world

Where do you get this from?

If anyone is interested they could always go on the Anthony Nolan register in the UK, the register is referenced by people all over the world when looking for donors. I think there is an upper age limit of 30 for it though.

I believe you are correct. Which is equally barmy in my opinion. The upper age limit here is much higher, which is terrific. Of course you have tobe in U.K to go ontheir register, and what seems a dreadful waste is the number of people out here who want to go on the list but who may not. After all some students are here for up to 5 years or more, and may even stay to work , so it is short sighted. Also their details are sharedglobally, so I really donot see why such a limit is imposed. Maybe once it had a validity, but with the way communication is today, there seems no reason to exclude anyone who is willing to try to help save a life.

From the Anthony Nolan Trust

"Why do you have to be aged between 16 and 30 to donate?
Statistics show that young people are more likely to be chosen as donors in lifesaving transplants.
Of course, people over 30 can make excellent donors too, and that’s why we ask people to stay on our register until they’re 60.
But younger donors have fewer complications, such as heart disease and diabetes, that would prevent them donating. When every day counts for someone in desperate need of a lifesaving transplant, finding out a donor can’t proceed can waste precious time.
In addition, it costs £100 to add each donor to our register. As a charity with limited resources, we need to focus on recruiting the people most likely to be chosen as donors."

Another barmy statement. You are welcome to enroll on the register up to the age of 30, and please stay on it until you are 60, But if you are 31 you are too old to go on the register.

Excuse me! And there are a lot of people out there of an older generation who are a hundred times fitter than some of the teenagers. If peopleod not have diabtes, and do not have medical problems, what is to stop. I relaly cannot understand. It is the same with donating blood. Any one hundred year old who is super fit (as are osme athletes who compete in the geriatric games) may not give even a couple of ounces. Daft. Each case should be individual.

I know of someone who offered to pay the £100 just to get their name on the register in the hopes that they might be able, but even that was refuswed, so they cannot say it is a matter of money.

Marion I do not think it is as simple as that. It would appear that younger people make better donors and with bone marrow it would seem that age match is important. The limited resources they have are being targeted at those most likely able to help and who can give the best value. If you can sign up someone at 25 they have 35 years on the register someone at 55 only has 5.

I appreciate what you are saying, but just suppose that person of 50 is a match for someone immediately and the younger person never is! (Oh and I know that nothing is every simple, but sometimes it can be made far too complicated)

Ref msg 7 above. Read the advice given on any of the UK/ USA medical advisory/informatory web sites on when such screening IS useful/required. Generally, only for those at risk through their employment or from a risk area.

tomsteel wrote:Ref msg 7 above. Read the advice given on any of the UK/ USA medical advisory/informatory web sites on when such screening IS useful/required. Generally, only for those at risk through their employment or from a risk area.

Which is entirely different than saying it is against medical advice. Most screening in UK etc is done on a cost/benefit basis. You also have to consider the context such advice is being given. In the UK they may be screening to catch cancers etc, here they may be screening to stop disease entering the country, the two situations are entirely different. To say it contradicts advice suggests it is harmful.

I do not agree that the tests are necessary however they have been in place since before I came here and is therefore I accept it as part of my choice to live here.

As an aside, a friend of mine moved to New Zealand however he was applying to Australia for permanent residence as he was working in both countries. He had all the medical checks completed which included blood tests etc at a cost of around £1000 each, after 2 years the process had not been completed so they told him the tests were out of date and he would have to re take them at his expense.

“Annual x-rays rarely detect tb in people at risk
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01 March 1999
Annual chest x-rays to screen for tuberculosis (TB) should be stopped even though the disease is once again on the rise.
The call for a major change in hospital practice has been made by Professor Lee Reichman at the New Jersey Medical School. He says that there is no evidence that regular and expensive screening makes very much difference in detecting the disease.
The practice of annual chest x-rays in hospitals is widespread, even though several studies have been published that argue against its benefits.
X-rays would have to be performed "absurdly often, such as daily or weekly" if they are to detect TB, he says in an editorial published in the Lancet.
Prof Reichman's views are supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

And this article relates to those at risk and NOT just the average person in the street. There are a number of similar articles available in many medical journals supporting this view. Others go further and state unnecessary exposure to radiation is a very real and positive risk to health (hence those employed in this area all wear specialist protective clothing/wear radiation monitors and keep those not involved away from the area of exposure). It would appear, therefore, there is a rationale for stopping this expensive, time-consuming, unnecessary, bureaucratic and discriminatory practice against ex-pats. If it is so essential for the TRNC, why is it not required for tourists using the sex trade industry/casinos here, students, tourists/visitors entering the TRNC from other countries/RoC, returning TCs et al, all of whom may have TB (or some other social disease(s) we could do without)? I contend, therefore, unless you have compelling and more recent, proven, evidence to support your counter view to mine, and those of the learned opinion above, my view this practice is medically unsafe is true and fair comment.
As to your friend’s experience in Australasia – irrelevant to this country and its misused medical practices/abuse of human rights of expats!
Might I suggest a review of the literature of this subject via your internet? I am closing on this subject as it will seem to detract from Marion’s initial subject on bone marrow volunteers.

Your view that xrays are "medically unsafe" needs to be taken in context. From the NHS:-

"Being exposed to X-rays carries a theoretical risk of triggering cancer at a later date, as does exposure to background radiation.
However, this risk is very low. For example, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has calculated that:
an X-ray of your chest, teeth, arms or feet is the equivalent of a few days' worth of background radiation, and has a less than 1 in 1,000,000 chance of causing cancer
an X-ray of your skull or neck is the equivalent of a few weeks' worth of background radiation, and has a 1 in 100,000-1,000,000 chance of causing cancer
an X-ray of your breasts (mammogram), hip, spine, abdomen or pelvis is the equivalent of a few months' to a year's worth of background radiation, and has a 1 in 10,000-100,000 chance of causing cancer
an X-ray that uses a contrast fluid, such as a barium meal, is the equivalent of a few years' worth of background radiation, and has a 1 in 1,000-10,000 chance of causing cancer
It's important to put the risk of developing cancer from X-rays into perspective. More than one in three people in the UK will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.
Your risk of developing cancer depends on many factors, including your age, lifestyle and genetic make-up."

Now to put it into my personal experience here I have since moving in 2006 had two xrays so personally I am not too worried.

Now I do not know that TB is what they are looking for however many visitors here are here to work and come from countries where many diseases are not inoculate against and there is no screening whatsoever. One of the concerns I am sure is to admit no one who is going to be financial burden on the state of bring any diseases that are transmittable.

My friends experiences are relevant in as much that this is not the only country that requires screening for long term entry.

All of the above said et the end of the day this is a country that at the moment is not recognise by the rest of the world, it has its rules, as previously mentioned if you want to live here you have to abide by the rules. When in Rome etc

Where is this going, talking about TB and not BONE MARROW DONERS? Marion have you had any more e-mails yet?

No, Owl lady. But it is an interesting conversation. I guess whateveryone is saying is that rules is rules wherever you live. I just don't understand some of these rules anddo not believe they are fully explaine.d One just has to accep,t which is a terrible shame if, perhaps, a life oculd be saved by someoneprepared to pay for the costs of being tested, and going on the register.

But there we are. Many things remain a mystery until somehow, someday, for some reason, rules get changed.

Thanks Marion we are still