A 2018 file picture used for representation
Doha: As a result of ongoing national level awareness campaigns, the country’s Organ Donor Registry has shown an increase of 39% registered potential donors within two years. The number of registered organ donors in the country has reached 480,751, by March 31.
The number of registered potential organ donors was 354,000 in May 2019 and increased to 452,000 in June 2021. Members of the public were asked to consider giving the gift of life and register to become an organ donor as part of Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) organ donation campaign.
With the high numbers registered donors the conversion rate organ donations has also increased, Medical Director of Hamad General Hospital and Director of Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation, Dr. Yousef Al Maslamani, told The Peninsula.
“As we are continuously reaching out and informing the importance of organ donation in saving the lives of patients with chronic organ failure there is increase in the interest of multinational members of the community to register as an organ donor after life,” he said.
“The increase in conversion rate is a good sign and we hope it to increase more,” he added.
The conversion rate was defined as the number of actual donors divided by the number of potential donors.
In 2021, a total of 48 kidney transplants, seven liver and one lung transplant were performed. Among the donors 13 were deceased.
The organ donor registry is a national, confidential list of individuals who have agreed to donate their organs after their death.
It can be quickly accessed in the event of a death to see whether an individual has registered their willingness to be an organ donor. Qatar has a single waiting list for organ transplantation with unbiased access to transplant services, irrespective of nationality.
The annual Ramadan Campaign for Organ Donation Awareness is being held 11 locations across the country. As part of the campaign, information booths staffed by Qatar Organ Donation Center (Hiba) representatives are providing members of the public with information about becoming a registered organ donor, including the process involved and the benefits.
The annual campaign also allows the public to ask questions about organ donation and transplantation. Individuals who are interested in becoming a donor are able to register at the booths and receive their donor card on the spot.
Dr Riadh Fadhil, Director of the Qatar Organ Donation Center has earlier said that it is hoped the number of registered donors will be increased to more than 500,000 this year and the main objective of the annual campaign is to increase awareness within the community about organ donation and to help correct misconceptions.
“We need more donors to register in Qatar so no one has to face losing a loved one while they are waiting for an organ,” Dr. Fadhil has said.
An organ transplant can be a life-saving procedure and can significantly improve the quality of life for someone with chronic organ failure. These life-saving organs come from deceased donors who have pledged during their lifetime to give their organs to someone in need. A deceased organ donor can save up to eight lives.
In Qatar kidney, liver, stem cell and lung transplantation programs and a heart transplant program is set to be launched soon.
