In my practice of medicine, there is nothing more noble, more splendid, more miraculous than to see a patient suffering from kidney disease being literally resurrected by a successful kidney transplant. We just celebrated “Transplantation Day” on the grounds of UPMC by the raising of the Transplant Awareness Flag.

But for me and many of my patients, it was not a happy day–not this year.

The Trump Administration’s funding cuts to the NIH pose a serious threat to critical transplantation research to a number of local and national research centers like UPMC in Pittsburgh, Geisinger in Danville and UPenn, particularly in vital new medicines that reduce the risk of rejection and improve survival of transplanted organs. This literally means life or death, or dialysis for many of my patients, in the right here and now!

I like to think that those in charge know what they are doing, are empathetic and have a long view when it comes to investments in medical research and technology. It’s just hard to stomach the idea that the funding cuts to the NIH are exceeded by many fold the amount of money piddled away by our government’s imposition of these nonsensical tariffs.

For God’s sake, we have to do better.

SAM STEA

Cogan Station

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom