SIUT organises Organ Donation Day

Organ Donation Day was observed at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) Karachi with a passionate appeal to the society at large to come forward and take part in a campaign of pledging to donate an organ and save the lives of those who are waiting for their second lease of life.
Dr Fehmida Mirza, 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 donation and described it an act of profound generosity and a service to the humanity.
Speaking on the occasion she highlighted the statistics that prevails in the country stating that some 50,000 people loose their lives every year due to end stage or organ failures. The prime and foremost factor in majority of cases she said is "paucity of organs and ignorance about the 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.
Dr Fehmida Mirza reminded that treatment of organ transplantation is well established in most part of the world including the Islamic World. She said President Asif Ali Zardari was one of the Heads of State who has also signed the consent card. She recalled that in this regard the organ donation law has been promulgated in the country in recent past which allows deceased organ donation and also prohibits any trade of organ transplantation. Speaker of the National Assembly while greatly lauded the service of SIUT.
Professor Adib ul Hasan Rizvi, Director SIUT gave an overall view 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 passion appeal to the society to support organ donation campaign for the relief of ailing population. Quoting the statistics of the World Health Organisation (WHO), he said that Pakistan as a part of South East Asian country is one of the lowest in providing transplant surgical facilities.
Also present at the launch ceremony where the family members of those immortal personalities who had donated their organs to the needy persons at the time of their demise. That included Anwar-ul-Huq, father of late Naveed, Razzak Memon, wife of late Dr Razzak Memon and Qurutlul Ain, mother of Master, the first liver donor in Pakistan. Dr Fehmida Mirza also gave her consent card expressing her willingness to donate her organs. Many prominent personalities representing cross session of the society have already joined the campaign by giving similar consent.
The Organ Donation Day campaign was organised by SIUT in collaboration with Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons, Transplantation Society of Pakistan and Pakistan Society of Nephrologists. The office bearers of all the three organisations also spoke on the occasion.