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Tribune News Network
Doha
Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation recently honoured 60 organ and tissue donors for their selfless act which saved the lives of 70 recipients last year.
During the annual honouring ceremony, which was attended by Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al Kuwari, the ‘Medal of Altruism’ was presented to 36 living kidney donors, 15 stem cell donors and the families of nine deceased donors.
“Organ donation saves lives and the success of Qatar’s organ donation and transplantation programmes is something which we can be extremely proud of. We have a single, unified waiting list and have led the way in terms of setting a high standard of care and support for donors and their families. Qatar’s national strategy for organ donation and transplantation is not only world-leading in terms of the clinical and ethical standards it applies, but it is also one that is appropriate to the healthcare needs of our growing and diverse population,” said Dr Kuwari.
An organ transplant can be a life-saving procedure and can significantly improve the quality of life for someone with chronic organ failure. These life-saving organs come from deceased donors who have pledged during their lifetime to give their organs to someone in need. A deceased organ donor can save up to eight lives. It is also possible to donate a kidney or part of the liver to a relative while you are alive.
Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation Director Dr Yousuf al Maslamani said the success of HMC’s organ transplant programme has led to a decrease in the number of patients who are travelling abroad for commercial transplantation by around 85 percent.
“The wider organ donation and transplantation programme continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of our community and has been striving to fulfill its vision to provide the best quality care for all patients, irrespective of nationality, religion or race,” said Dr Maslamani.
Dr Riadh Fadhil, director of Qatar Organ Donation Center, said his organisation has worked tirelessly with the Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation to implement the tenets of the Doha Donation Accord, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year.
“HMC’s full commitment to the Doha Donation Accord has seen the number of registered donors increase significantly over the last six years from 2,000 to more than 400,000 today,” said Dr Fadhil.
“Increased awareness about the benefits of organ donation is reflected in both the number of organ donors and organ transplant procedures. This increased awareness has also allowed us to introduce new organ transplant programmes,” added Dr Fadhil.
The annual honouring ceremony coincided with the third Annual Meeting of the Doha International Academy for Organ Donation and the second gathering of the ROOTS Alliance (Reaching Out for Organ Transplant Self Sufficiency). As part of these events, representatives from India, Pakistan, The Philippines, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, and Ethiopia joined delegates from Qatar, Australia, Spain, Croatia, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom for a series of high-level meetings and lectures.
Held from November 8 to 10, the events centred on advancing plans and strategies to educate staff and raise public awareness about organ trafficking.
Doha
Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation recently honoured 60 organ and tissue donors for their selfless act which saved the lives of 70 recipients last year.
During the annual honouring ceremony, which was attended by Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al Kuwari, the ‘Medal of Altruism’ was presented to 36 living kidney donors, 15 stem cell donors and the families of nine deceased donors.
“Organ donation saves lives and the success of Qatar’s organ donation and transplantation programmes is something which we can be extremely proud of. We have a single, unified waiting list and have led the way in terms of setting a high standard of care and support for donors and their families. Qatar’s national strategy for organ donation and transplantation is not only world-leading in terms of the clinical and ethical standards it applies, but it is also one that is appropriate to the healthcare needs of our growing and diverse population,” said Dr Kuwari.
An organ transplant can be a life-saving procedure and can significantly improve the quality of life for someone with chronic organ failure. These life-saving organs come from deceased donors who have pledged during their lifetime to give their organs to someone in need. A deceased organ donor can save up to eight lives. It is also possible to donate a kidney or part of the liver to a relative while you are alive.
Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation Director Dr Yousuf al Maslamani said the success of HMC’s organ transplant programme has led to a decrease in the number of patients who are travelling abroad for commercial transplantation by around 85 percent.
“The wider organ donation and transplantation programme continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of our community and has been striving to fulfill its vision to provide the best quality care for all patients, irrespective of nationality, religion or race,” said Dr Maslamani.
Dr Riadh Fadhil, director of Qatar Organ Donation Center, said his organisation has worked tirelessly with the Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation to implement the tenets of the Doha Donation Accord, which is marking its tenth anniversary this year.
“HMC’s full commitment to the Doha Donation Accord has seen the number of registered donors increase significantly over the last six years from 2,000 to more than 400,000 today,” said Dr Fadhil.
“Increased awareness about the benefits of organ donation is reflected in both the number of organ donors and organ transplant procedures. This increased awareness has also allowed us to introduce new organ transplant programmes,” added Dr Fadhil.
The annual honouring ceremony coincided with the third Annual Meeting of the Doha International Academy for Organ Donation and the second gathering of the ROOTS Alliance (Reaching Out for Organ Transplant Self Sufficiency). As part of these events, representatives from India, Pakistan, The Philippines, Sudan, Iraq, Oman, and Ethiopia joined delegates from Qatar, Australia, Spain, Croatia, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom for a series of high-level meetings and lectures.
Held from November 8 to 10, the events centred on advancing plans and strategies to educate staff and raise public awareness about organ trafficking.
