KARACHI: More than 150,000 people die each year in Pakistan due to end-stage organ failure. This figure includes 40,000 patients of kidney failure, 70,000 of liver failure and 15,000 of heart failure. The main reason for deaths in the majority of these patients is the non-availability of organs.

This was shared by experts at a programme organised at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on Friday to mark World Organ Donation Day, which is observed every year on August 13.

The event’s aim was to spread awareness of the importance of organ donation and to motivate and encourage people to pledge their organs to save precious lives.

The speakers explained that the process of organ donation involved retrieval of organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, and pancreas, and transplanting them into patients whose organs had failed and they needed transplant for survival.

Elaborating further, they said that there was no definite age limit for anyone to become an organ donor but it was only possible for someone to become an organ donor if the donor died on a ventilator in a hospital setting.

In the case of natural death, tissues like cornea, heart valves, bone and skin could be donated.

So far, it was pointed out, a total of 10,383 persons had pledged to be deceased organ donors by a registration with the Transplant Society of Pakistan (TSP). The society could be approached through its website (www.tx-society-pk.org) and UAN: 111-429-284.

“Till now, Pakistan has had five deceased donors namely Mr Naveed Anwar, Ms Shamim Bano, Prof Razzak Memon, Mr Imran Shah and Mr Arsalan. Whereas corneal donors include renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi and Ms Aban Jamal. Both of them were kidney failure patients but were passionate enough to donate their corneas after their death so someone could see in their life,” recalled Dr Murli Dhar.

The experts stressed the need for a consistent approach towards awareness about deceased organ donation in society so that lives could be saved.

They also referred to the Holy Quran (Surah Al-Maida) wherein Allah stated that “If someone saves a life, it shall be as though he has saved the lives of all mankind”.

Dr Sadia Nishat and Dr Farina Hanif also spoke.

Published in Dawn, August 15th , 2021