Health authorities are being forced into an"unenviable dilemma"over who to prioritise for intensive care beds if the coronavirus pandemic begins to overwhelm the health system. It comes as the federal health department consults with the Royal Australian College of Surgeons on which elective procedures should be prioritised,after Prime Minister Scott Morrison ordered all non-essential elective surgeries be cancelled.
The pandemic has already forced the cancellation of transplant surgeries in the United States and United Kingdom.
"We're worried that in the present environment,the risks of dying soon after transplant are greatly increased,"Professor Chadban said.
"It is much safer to keep somebody on dialysis rather than expose them to a kidney transplant and heavy immunosuppression[drugs] whereby we believe we would greatly increase their risk of getting severe disease if they caught[SARS-CoV-2]."
Professor Chadban said there was"a distinct possibility"that patients waiting for heart,lung and liver transplants could die if ICUs reached capacity - which some experts predict will occur within weeks - as they may not be able to access a bed for their post-surgery recovery.
"We hope we won't come to that position but,if we do,the involved doctors will have to look at the prognosis of both patients and decide who's most likely to survive."