Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health,
this week attended an event to mark 30 years of safe and successful
organ transplantation surgeries at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), as
well as recognize the many pioneers who have contributed to making the
program successful.
The event was arranged to recognize and honor
living organ donors and the families of deceased donors. It also
acknowledged Qatari transplant recipients who chose to have their
procedure in Qatar rather than go abroad, signaling a confidence in the
high professionalism of the organ transplantation team operating at
Hamad General Hospital.
In 1986 a surgical team at HMC performed
Qatar’s first kidney transplant on a Qatari woman who received a donor
kidney from her sister. Now, 30 years on, with a 98 percent success
rate, HMC’s organ transplantation program is one of the most admired in
the world.
“The success of Qatar’s organ transplantation program
is something which we can be extremely proud of. With fairness and
equity at its heart, our transplantation program has been recognized
internationally,” Her Excellency said. “Qatar’s national strategy for
organ transplantation is not only world-leading in terms of the clinical
and ethical standards it applies but also one that is appropriate to
the healthcare needs of our growing country and our diverse population."
Qatar
Center for Organ Transplantation Director Dr. Yousuf Al Maslamani said
HMC has decreased the number of patients who are traveling abroad for
commercial transplantation by 70 percent.
“Over the last three
decades, HMC has developed a robust deceased organ donation program,
liver transplantation program, and pediatric kidney transplantation
program,” Dr. Al Maslamani said. “Last year saw the launch of our bone
marrow transplantation program and currently we are at the final stage
of preparation to launch pancreas transplantation and islet cell
transplantation. The wider organ donation and transplantation program
continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of our community and has
been striving to fulfill its vision to provide the best quality care for
all patients, irrespective of nationality, religion, or race.”
During
the event, which was held at the Sheraton Grand Hotel in Doha, the
Medal of Altruism was presented to 38 living kidney donors, five living
liver donors, three stem cell donors, and eight families of deceased
donors. Pioneers of the organ transplantation program were also
acknowledged, including Dr. Ajaeb Alnabit, Dr. Awadh Rashid, Dr.
Abulwahid Al Mulla, Dr. Usama Badawi, Dr. Mohamed Salim, Dr. Fadhil Al
Malik, Dr. Amer Shaikhoni, Ms. Mona Jarman, Ms. Elham Almoamin, and Ms.
Sahar Burhan.
Dr. Hassan Al Malki, Head of Nephrology at HMC also
spoke about the program’s world-class standards of quality and safety.
The audience heard from several people whose lives have been changed as a
result of organ donation, including a Qatari recipient who urged those
in need of a transplant to remain in Qatar because of the world-class
facilities and transplant team.
Qatar Organ Donation Center
Director Dr. Riadh Fadhil said the Center has worked tirelessly with the
Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation to implement the Doha Donation
Accord.
“HMC’s full commitment to the Doha Donation Accord has
seen the number of registered donors increase significantly over the
last five years from 2000 to more than 259,000,” Dr. Riadh said. “The
greater number of organ donors has led to an increase in kidney
transplant procedures, which in turn as enabled new procedures to be
implemented. It has also led to a majority of our patients choosing to
have their procedures done in Qatar rather than travel abroad.”