KARACHI: Transparency a must for organ transplantation: WHO
KARACHI, May 6: A WHO Mission on Cell Tissue, Organ Transplantation and Safe Blood Transfusion, which comprised the regional adviser, essential health technologies (EHT)
, WHO-EMRO, Dr Nabila Metwalli, and the coordinator, clinical procedures HTP/EHT, WHO Head Quarters, Dr LUC Noel, has held high-level discussions with government functionaries and private institutions in the city.
During their three-day visit to the city, they had detailed discussions with the director, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Prof Syed Adibul Hasan Rizvi, JPMC Director Prof Kazi Abdul Shakoor, JPMC Blood Bank's Dr Syed Abdul Mujib, Aga Khan University Dean Prof Khurshid, Sindh Programme Manager for Blood Transfusion Dr Farhana Memon and other senior professionals regarding relevant issues in the context of Pakistan.
It was acknowledged by both the mission and local medical experts that transplantation being a recognized therapy also enhanced the need to address safety and dignity of donors as well as recipients.
The mission observed that complete transparency in all activities related to transplantation must be recognized as a rule. They also said that public awareness was the key to success of voluntary donation and needed to be created.
WHO representative to Pakistan Dr Khalif Bile Mohamud, who joined the mission on Wednesday, appreciated the approach pursued by the SIUT and suggested that the same needed to be followed by all relevant units and centres. Pakistan could benefit immensely from putting a stop to any possible transplant tourism with donors' exploitation, he added.
The mission facilitated by Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi, WHO operation officer for Sindh, along with the WHO representative to Pakistan, also met the Sindh secretary for health, Ashiq Hussein Memon, the health director-general, Dr Hussain Bux Memon, and the additional secretary, Dr Iqbal Ahmed Daudpota.
Registering the impetus provided to safe blood transfusion, a critical aspect of the health care delivery system, Dr Bile Mohamud expressed the hope that existing bottlenecks would be removed.
The health secretary expressed the government's commitment to ensure safe blood transfusion, saying that the Sindh governor was taking interest in the area. He reiterated that the Sindh Health Department would ensure that the programme had no shortage of trained manpower and that required objectives were duly achieved.
The WHO mission that left for Islamabad on Wednesday evening will call on Federal Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan, Federal Health Secretary Tariq Farook and Health Director-General Maj-Gen (retd) Mohammad Aslam.
Discussions of the WHO mission with the national authorities will largely revolve around the opportunity of developing necessary a technical basis for cell tissue and organ transplantation.
This would include the procurement of human material for transplantation from deceased donors as well as provision of proper selection and follow-up of living donors.
With regard to blood transfusion programme and available services in Pakistan, the mission will follow up the progress made in the field since the promulgation of the Blood Safety Ordinance and the preparation of the National Strategic Document.
It will discuss the plan of action envisaged for capacity building and institutional development at both the federal and provincial levels. According to Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi, the mission will also discuss the laboratory issue as Pakistan's participation in the Biennial Meeting of Public Health directors to be held in Cairo later this month.
The meeting will launch two important regional projects on anti-microbial resistance surveillance, its containment and external quality assurance schemes in microbiology including culture/sensitivity, serology and molecular biology. -APP
