Need for public education on deceased organ donation stressed

16-April-2016

Sindh Health Minister Dr. Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar called upon on all segments of the society to promote the concept of deceased organ donation as it guarantees a new lease of life to those who are at the end stages of the lives on account of organ failures.

He was speaking at a seminar organized by SIUT, Transplantation Society of Pakistan and the newly established Human Organ Transplant Authority (HOTA) Sindh here on Saturday. The daylong seminar was attended by prominent surgeons, medical experts from all teaching hospitals in Sindh and large private hospitals, religious scholars and opinion makers who discussed areas of concerns which are confronted to medical professionals and other members of the society.

Giving the details about the functioning of HOTA, the provincial Minister said an Administrator has been appointed while a secretariat with website link is also established at his department to facilitate the people. The Minister while giving details further said according to HOTA rules and regulation a directive is being sent to government hospitals in the province that it would be mandatory to identify bran death patients and inform HOTA accordingly. The Minister said in this exercise the HOTA will also obtain consent of family members to make the whole process more transparent. Province of Sindh which has taken lead in establishing an authority was greatly appreciated by the Minister who hoped that other provinces will also come forward to take similar steps in the best interest of the society.

Director SIUT Dr Adib Rizvi pointed out that some 150,000 people die every year due to organ failure in Pakistan. He said creation of HOTA in the province is a great step to expandthe process of transplantation and save the lives of those suffering with failures of kidney, liver, heart and lungs.