Globally, chronic kidney disease causes at least 2.4 million deaths each year and is the sixth fastest-growing cause of death. There are many risk factors contributing to the development of kidney disorders. People must be aware of these risk factors and take steps to prevent them, where possible. The kidneys are essential organs for human survival because they are involved in several critical physiologic functions in the body. These functions include filtering and removing toxins from the blood into the urine while holding and retaining important proteins in the blood, maintaining the balance of fluids in the body and regulating blood pressure.
Chronic kidney disease is very common. It affects 1 in 7 adults, 90% of whom do not even know they have chronic kidney disease. In Qatar, it is estimated that one in 10 people in Qatar have some kind of kidney impairment.
Qatar currently conducts kidney and liver transplant surgery. All donation and transplant surgeries are done so under the Doha Donation Accord, endorsed by the International Society for Organ Transplantation and the Istanbul Declaration Custodian Group.
Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) yesterday announced it had performed 54 kidney transplants for patients of various age groups from the beginning of 2023 until October. According to the Medical Director of Hamad General Hospital and Director of Qatar Center for Organ Transplantation Dr. Yousef Al Maslamani, the transplants include 30 kidneys from living donors and 24 from brain-dead donors, marking a significant milestone in the program’s history.
He had disclosed that the medical service provider aimed for 50 kidney transplant surgeries this year, surpassing the set target before the year’s end due to an increase in the number of living and brain-dead organ donors. Meanwhile, seven liver transplants and three lung transplant surgeries were conducted by the end of October this year.
Al Maslamani highlighted the continuous development and expansion of HMC’s kidney transplant programme, which he attributes to integrating modern technologies and the proficiency of the medical staff overseeing the programme. He explained that the number of kidney transplant surgeries performed at HMC depends on the availability of donors and the fulfilment of all organ donation criteria for both the donor and the recipient.
The resounding success of HMC’s organ transplantation programs, including kidney, liver, and lung transplantation, strengthens the country’s commitment to providing comprehensive healthcare to the public by utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and world-class medical facilities to deliver high-quality care.
