“We have already got over 100,000 organ donors. May be, we will reach 150,000 by this year,” Dr. Yousuf al-Maslamani, director of the centre at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), explained.
HMC and Al Faisal Without Borders (ALF) Foundation jointly launched the Ramadan Voluntary Blood Donation campaign and the National Organ Donation campaign on Sunday.
The campaigns were inaugurated by HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, chairman of the Board of Trustees of ALF at City Center Doha. Philippe Morel, a global campaigner of organ donation from Switzerland, was also present on the occasion.
“This campaign is vital to the health of our nation," said Sheikh Faisal said. "It aims to provide support and assistance to patients in need of blood, and to spread the culture of voluntary blood and organ donation throughout the society. We hope this year’s campaign will be equally successful and attract even more donors.”
Dr al-Maslamani pointed out that the public can visit the organ donation stands to learn more about organ donation and transplantation and those who are interested can register as a donor. Visitors can register as an organ donor or receive more information about what it means to be a donor.
Dr. Riadh Fadhil, director of Qatar Organ Donation Centre (Hiba), said the main objective of the campaign was to increase awareness within the community about organ donation.
“This year we have 14 organ donation stands placed in different locations across Qatar.We are also seeking to increase the number of registered donors and to hopefully address misconceptions that people may have regarding organ donation and transplantation services in Qatar,” he explained.
“This campaign will run until the end of the year. During Ramadan, it will be on all the days at the 14 locations but after Ramadan it will be on the weekends.”
The official also said that the wait list for organ transplantation is decreasing. "There is great increase in the number of deceased donors as well as living donors. Deceased donors have increased eight times while live donors increased 20 times. There is also great increase in the number of Qatari donors.”
“There is about 10% drop in the waiting list for transplant every year. It is not only in the kidney transplantation but also in the liver transplant list. We had six liver transplant from deceased donors and three from relative donors last year,” stated Dr. Fadhil.
Pancreas transplant likely to take place this year
The Qatar Organ Transplant Centre is likely to conduct the first pancreas transplant later this year, director Dr. Yousuf al-Maslamani, told Gulf Times.
“Most probably, before the end of the year, we may have the pancreas transplant,” he said.
Dr. Riadh Fadhil, director of Qatar Organ Donation Centre, said the centre is working on it earnestly. “But we need preparation for the donor as well as the recipient.We need to complete plenty of logistics. We will announce more details later this year.”
HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani opens the campaigns by cutting a ribbon in the presence of several officials from HMC at the City Center Doha on Sunday. PICTURE: Thajudheen.
The Qatar Organ Transplant Centre aims to reach about 150,000 organ donors in the current year, a top official told Gulf Times.
