PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority has warned ophthalmologists at Khyber Teaching Hospital to stop conducting cornea transplants as it is in violation of the law.

“We have issued verbal warning to KTH to stop cornea transplantation immediately or face action in line with the law,” Prof Asif Malik, the administrator of MTRA, told Dawn.

He said that each and every hospital was required to put in place facilities in accordance with the law prior to starting transplants and the infrastructure would be examined by different committees before granting permission to it for the purpose.

So far, the health department has recognised Institute of Kidney Disease Hayatabad for kidney transplantation while applications of two private hospitals are being considered for the same.

“We will take notice of illegal activities regarding transplantation in every public and private hospital. Currently, we have information that doctors at KTH are doing cornea transplantations,” said Prof Asif.

MTRA administrator terms the practice violation of law

The health department constituted MTRA in line with Medical Transplantation Regulatory Authority Act, 2014, two months ago to regulate transplantation in the province.

However, MTRA is also working on a proposal put forward by Prof Ziaul Islam, the president of Ophthalmological Society of Pakistan, to relax the law for cornea transplant.

“Two meetings have taken place where we have deliberated on the proposal to allow cornea transplantation by softening the law. A third meeting, to be held shortly, will make a final decision about it,” he said.

According to Prof Ziaul Islam, unlike kidney transplantation, which requires full-fledged infrastructure including intensive care unit, well-equipped operation theatre, services of anesthetists and qualified surgeons, cornea transplants is a simple procedure and can be performed by an ophthalmologist with the help of a technician.

He said that health secretary agreed to his proposal and hopefully the law would be relaxed to pave way for cornea transplantation in the province. In addition, the donor and recipients of kidneys undergo battery of investigations and other preparations before the procedure because MTRA has to ensure that the donor is close relative of the recipient to forbid deal of sale and purchase between the two.

He said that corneas were imported from abroad and were grafted to the people blinded by disease or trauma to restore their eyesight. He added that most of the corneas were sent by Pakistani philanthropists from the US or Sri Lanka that were transplanted to the patients, mostly poor.

Prof Zia, who is also member of Human Organs Transplant Authority (Hota), said that people did not need hospitalisation after undergoing cornea transplant operation. He said that they were sent home after the operation and were required to come for follow-up visits for a few months.

“For kidney transplant, the patients require hospitalisation and prolonged subsequent treatment and follow-ups,” he said. He added that they also needed donors for kidney and then making sure that donors were healthy and no illegal means were involved.

Prof Zia said that corneas were sent from abroad and donors were not involved in it and there was no issue with regard to authenticity of the donors and the recipients.

Meanwhile, KTH, where 90 cornea transplants have been conducted since May last year, is set to restore the vision of 13 more patients for which corneas have been made available by philanthropists.

They would unlikely to see the world after MTRA’s notice and will have to wait for the law to make room for cornea transplant in the existing infrastructure.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2018