PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority on Thursday launched registration of people wanting to donate their organs to save lives of others amid calls by experts that lack of awareness has been hampering treatment of patients requiring human organs.

“In Pakistan, the number of renal transplants is about 1,800 against the need of 10,000. There is huge deficit of demand and supply, which can be bridged through scaling up awareness regarding organs donation,” Prof Asif Malik, the chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority (MTRA), said.

Speaking at a ceremony held here to mark World Transplant Day at Khyber Girls Medical College, he said that they launched a portal where the people could donate their organs that could be used for saving the lives of needy patients.

“Lack of donation culture has led to buying of organs from people. It is illegal and entails complications. Donation of organs as per law is a source of healthiness for both donors and recipients,” he said.

Speakers say lack of awareness hampers treatment of patients requiring human organs

Prof Malik, a former transplant surgeon at Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD), said that they had authorised 13 hospitals for organs transplant including renal and eye where people could undergo procedures in the safest manner by professional surgeons.

“Recently, we organised ‘transplant games’ wherein about 100 patients, who had recovered after transplants, took part and enjoyed,” he added.

Dr Attaur Rehman, also a former transplant surgeon at IKD, said they were starting ‘deceased donors scheme’ to retrieve kidneys of the people with dead brain and transplant the same to patients with damaged urinary organs. “Similarly, we are also considering launching pair donation in which families can exchange kidneys to match recipients to resolve the issue of match-ability of both,” he added.

Prof Sanaullah Jan, the director of Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (PICO) at Hayatabad Medical Complex, painted a grim picture of organ donations in the country and said that they had to wait for donations from the USA and other countries to carry out corneal transplants.

“There are 1,700 patients awaiting their transplants at PICO only and we urge people to start donating corneas so as to help restore the eyesight of the people blinded by cylinder blasts and other incidents. We are way behind from Nepal, Iran, Sri Lank and India where people are in the habit of organ donation,” he said.

Prof Qibla Ayaz, the former chairman of Council of Islamic Ideology, said that they had forwarded recommendations to government after in-depth research that organ donation was allowed in Islam. “We need to establish an endowment fund to strengthen transplantation in the province,” he added.

Khyber Medical University Vice-chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq, KGMC Dean Prof Zahid Aman, HMC Prof medical director Shehzad Akbar Khan, deputy director of FIA Saeedullah Khan and others also spoke on the occasion.

Skits were also displayed by students to send a message that donation was legal and people must donate organs.

Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah said that doctors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were capable to carry out transplants and other latest procedures in the field of medical sciences. He stressed the need for preventive measures to put brakes on diabetes and other ailments.

He said that government was providing free health services to people on Sehat Card Plus as per vision of PTI founder Imran Khan. He claimed it was not possible even in developed countries where people paid premium to get health insurance. “In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, all people get cashless treatment services,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2024