September 21, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 08, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: The Human Organs and Tissues Transplantation Monitoring Authority on Thursday decided to grant interim permission to public sector teaching hospitals to carry out transplant operations.

This was decided at the second meeting of the authority which has formally started working after the appointment of Maj-Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Usmani as its administrator.

The monitoring authority, established after the promulgation of Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Ordinance, is mandated to recognise hospitals for transplantation of human organs and tissues as part of its overall regulatory role.

The interim permission granted to the public sector teaching hospitals is for the period during which the authority receives applications from health institutions for recognition and inspects them for the availability of required facilities and manpower.

Applications for recognition of hospitals for transplantation have already been sought and four provincial committees have been established for inspection of institutions desirous of recognition.

The process of scrutiny is expected to be completed in a month.

The public sector institutions previously carried out 25 per cent of the total transplants done in the country. The private sector institutions used to get major share because they permitted unrelated donations, while the public sector institutions mostly accepted related donations.

It is interesting to note that the monitoring authority has invited all those institutions which were involved in ‘unethical sale’ of human organs prior to the promulgation of ordinance to seek recognition.

Some members of the authority are reported to have protested against extending invitation to the institutions which were engaged in unethical practices.

However, their protest has been rejected on the pretext that it has to be an all-inclusive process and no one can be alienated.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Health Minister Nasir Khan said the process of recognising the institutions eligible for carrying out transplant surgery had started.