Saturday was Organ Donation Day at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), through which the institute made a passionate appeal to the society at large to come forward and take part in the campaign of pledging to donate an organ and save the lives of thousands who are waiting for a second lease of life.
Dr Fehmida Mirza, the Speaker of the National Assembly who was the chief guest at a function to mark the occasion, also made a fervent appeal for more and more organ donations, describing it as an act of profound generosity and a service to humanity.
Speaking on the occasion, she highlighted the statistics that prevail in the country, saying that some 50,000 people lose their lives annually due to end stage or organ failure.
The prime and foremost factor in majority of the cases, she said, is the “paucity of organs and ignorance about scientific treatment.”
She underlined the need to tackle this problem by ensuring availability of more organs and by inculcating the spirit of compassion for those whose lives are in danger.
Mirza reminded the participants that treatment of organ transplantation is well established in most parts of the world, including the Islamic World.
She said President Asif Ali Zardari is one of the heads of state who has also signed the consent card.
She recalled that in this regard, an organ donation law was promulgated in the country in the recent past that allows deceased’s organ donation and also prohibits any trade of organ transplantation. She lauded the services of the SIUT.
SIUT Director Prof Adibul Hasan Rizvi gave an overview of cases of organ failures that are experienced in Pakistan as well as in other parts of the world.
While discussing the constraints and remedial measures, he made a passionate appeal to the society to support their organ donation campaign for the relief of the ailing population.
Quoting the statistics of the World Health Organisation, he said that Pakistan in one of those countries that are providing the least number of transplant surgical facilities.
Also present at the ceremony were the family members of those who had, at the time of their demise, donated their organs to people in need.
They included Anwarul Haq, the father of (late) Naveed; Mrs Razzak Memon, the wife of (late) Dr Razzak Memon; and Quratul Ain, the mother of (late) Arsalan who was the first liver donor in Pakistan.
The National Assembly speaker also gave her consent card, expressing her willingness to donate her organs.
Many prominent personalities representing a cross section of the society have already joined the campaign by giving similar consent.
The Organ Donation Day campaign was organised by the SIUT in collaboration with the Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons (PAUS), the Transplantation Society of Pakistan (TSP) and the Pakistan Society of Nephrologists (PSN). The office-bearers of PAUS, TSP and PSN also spoke on the occasion.
