A ribbon is cut to open the organ donation campaign at the City Center. PICTURE: Jayaram

By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter

 

The Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has launched its second organ donation campaign at a programme at the City Center Doha. The campaign is organised in co-operation with Al Faisal Charity.

The campaign was opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Several top officials from HMC and Al Faisal Charity were present on the occasion.  

An information booth has been set up on the first floor of the City Center next to Carrefour where people can access more information on organ donation. There is also a drive for blood donation along with this campaign. The campaign will run through the holy month of Ramadan.

According to the statistics released by the Qatar Centre for Organ Donation and Transplantation (Hiba), a total of 16,606 new registrants were added to the organ donor registry in Qatar in 2013, indicating a seven-fold increase since 2012. The campaign in 2012 received 2,500 donors.

The latest event is part of the Ramadan campaign to spread awareness on organ donation and make the people aware of the benefits of the initiative. Officials from Hiba and volunteers from HMC are present at the booth to guide the visitors on the procedure.

According to Dr Yousuf al-Maslamani, head of the Organ Transplant Committee at HMC, the number of people registering to donate organs is on the increase in Qatar. “Many people have joined the initiative since its inception two years ago and we can identify that the public are very receptive to the idea. They understand the medical and social values of the initiative and are coming out in large numbers to support this noble cause.”

People who would like to donate their organs can do so by visiting the HMC booth at City Center and sign the registry at the booth. There must be two witnesses for the registration as it is considered a will for organ donation. Details of the donor are kept in an electronic record and the person is given an identification card.

According to Hiba officials, the organs and tissue that can be donated in Qatar include heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines and corneas. The highest demand for transplant in Qatar is for kidney. This is attributed to the high prevalence of diabetes in the country as well as the increased cases of hypertension patients.

 

 

 

 

Related Story