Organ donation centre holds training courses for HMC staff

Six international experts in the field, hailing from the US, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Qatar, conducted the course to 500 people from HMC’s workforce.

Several workshops were held over three days with the purpose of providing the attendees with a clearer vision of the Organ Donation and Transplantation Programme and its future goals. Dr Abdulla al-Ansari, deputy chief of Medical, Academic and Research Affairs, presented a lecture on the vision for the Doha Donation Accord, which includes adopting the best international medical practices and standards, developing technology and providing the safest and most effective medical care for all residents of Qatar.

Dr Yousuf al-Maslamani, director of Qatar Centre for Organ Transplantation, said: “The Organ Donation and Transplantation Programme in Qatar has come a long way since 1986 when the first kidney transplant was successfully done. We have succeeded in many aspects of the programme. We hope that through these courses, we will achieve our goal of establishing an active exchange of ideas between international speakers and HMC staff.”

Francis Delmonico, president of the Transplantation Society and professor of Transplantation Surgery at Harvard University (US), said: “Organ donation and transplantation is at a most compelling time in Qatar. The Doha Donation Accord model has grown substantially since its launch and can bring Qatar to be the model of self-sufficiency in organ transplantation in the Middle East and worldwide.”

Dr Dominique Martin, who flew in from Australia to be a part of the workshops and is a bioethicist at The University of Melbourne, said: “The Doha Donation Model, although very young, is already setting an example for the region and internationally with regard to ethical policy. The fact that every resident in Qatar has a right to equitably access transplantation provides a compelling reason for everyone to participate in donation opportunities. The staff at HMC has the privilege of caring for patients and families at the time of such opportunities and education, and training enables them to provide care of the highest quality and ethical standards.”

The international speakers were also invited to peer review the Qatar Centre for Organ Donation (Hiba) and will soon publish a report on their findings.