Event held to mark 30 years of transplants at HMC

HE the Minister ofPublic Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari this week attended an event tomark 30 years of safe and successful organ transplantation surgeries atHamad Medical Corporation (HMC).She recognised the many pioneers whohave contributed to making the programme successful, at the event whichalso honoured living organ donors and the families of deceased donors.Also acknowledged were Qatari transplant recipients who chose to havetheir procedure in Qatar rather than go abroad, signalling a confidencein the high professionalism of the organ transplantation team operatingat Hamad General Hospital. In 1986 a surgical team at HMC performedQatar’s first kidney transplant on a Qatari woman who received a donorkidney from her sister.  Now, 30 years on, with a 98% success rate,HMC’s organ transplantation programme is one of the most admired in theworld.“The success of Qatar’s organ transplantation programme issomething which we can be extremely proud of. With fairness and equityat its heart, our transplantation programme has been recognisedinternationally,” HE Dr al-Kuwari said. “Qatar’s national strategyfor organ transplantation is not only world-leading in terms of theclinical and ethical standards it applies but also one that isappropriate to the healthcare needs of our growing country and ourdiverse population,” she noted.Qatar Centre for OrganTransplantation director Dr Yousuf al-Maslamani said HMC has decreasedthe number of patients who are travelling abroad for commercialtransplantation by 70%. “Over the last three decades, HMC hasdeveloped a robust deceased organ donation programme, livertransplantation programme, and paediatric kidney transplantationprogramme,” Dr al-Maslamani said.