FOR years, a handful of dedicated group of doctors and social activists resisted all manner of threats and blackmail, even risked their lives, to spearhead a campaign that saw Pakistan at last shed its shameful global reputation as a thriving bazaar for vended organs. While constant vigilance is important to prevent the practice from once again taking root, there is a very real shortage of organs for transplantation. More than 50,000 people die of organ failure every year in Pakistan, including approximately 15,000 as a result of renal failure; promotion of deceased organ donation is therefore of the utmost importance. On Saturday, the Supreme Court ordered the government to implement the recommendations made by a committee — comprising several of the original campaigners — set up to look into strengthening the legislation against the illegal sale and transplantation of organs and suggesting ways to promote deceased organ donation. In line with their suggestions, the judges asked that legislators enhance punishment for the crime to 14 years and Rs10m, from the present 10 years and Rs1m.

Other proposals say that the government must actively promote deceased organ donation, follow international protocols to determine brain death and to harvest organs, ethically and efficiently, for transplantation. Practical measures are key to success: more ventilators are needed in hospitals where brain-dead patients can be kept artificially alive until a decision about organ donation is made; a deceased donor database would facilitate matching with potential recipients; the subject of cadaveric donations should also be made an integral part of medical curricula, etc. For a country that consistently ranks among the highest in giving to charitable causes, it is deeply unfortunate that Pakistanis are so ungenerous where it comes to pledging their organs. A combination of superstition and ignorance continues to keeps the number of such pledges very low. Proponents of commercial transplants often use the huge shortfall of viable organs to support their stance; but no argument can justify the wickedness inherent in such an unequal exchange, in which the haves can literally live off the flesh of the have-nots. It is heartening that some segments of civil society continue to persevere in changing mindsets through seminars, walks, public service advertisements, etc. Now that the apex court has spoken and spoken so emphatically, perhaps the government will throw its weight behind this noble cause and help it gain more traction.

Published in Dawn, September 26th, 2018