Experts call for raising awareness on organ donation

In the case of natural death, tissues like cornea, heart valves, bone and skin can be donated


Our Correspondent August 14, 2021

KARACHI:

Over 150,000 people die in Pakistan each year due to organ failure, according to health experts, who urged raising awareness about deceased organ donation to save lives.

They were speaking at a ceremony held to mark World Organ Donation Day at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) on Friday.

The day is observed every year on August 13 with an aim to motivate and encourage people to pledge their organs to save lives.

The medical experts of SIUT highlighted the alarming figure of deaths due to organ failure and said that in Pakistan more than 150,000 people die each year due to End Stage Organ Failure. This figure includes 40,000 patients with kidney failure, 70,000 suffering from liver failure and 15,000 from heart failure. The main reason for death in the majority of these patients is non-availability of organs.

The speakers explained that in the case of natural death, tissues like cornea, heart valves, bone and skin can be donated.

The experts highlighted the fact that so far 10,383 persons have pledged to be deceased organ donors by registering on the Transplant Society of Pakistan (TSP) website.

Till now Pakistan has had five deceased donor's organs namely Naveed Anwar, Shamim Bano, Prof Razzak Memon, Imran Shah and Arsalan, they said. Whereas corneal donors include renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi and Aban Jamal. Both of them were kidney failure patients and they donated their corneas after their death so someone else could see.

The speakers included Dr Murli Dhar, Dr Sadia Nishat and Dr Farina Hanif and others.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2021.

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