*Total number of registered donors reaches 300,000
*HMC aims for 350,000 registered donors by year-end

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has announced that nearly 35,000 people have registered to become organ donors since May when the corporation launched its annual organ donation campaign.

The campaign was kicked off during the holy month of Ramadan and will run until the end of this year.

Since the Qatar Organ Donor Registry was launched in 2012, around 300,000 donors, or 15% of the country’s adult population, have signed up to become organ donors, HMC said in a press statement on Saturday.

Dr Riadh Fadhil, director of HMC’s Qatar Organ Donation Center (Hiba), said during Ramadan, representatives from Hiba staffed information booths at 14 locations across the country.

“The success of the organ donation campaign has meant that Qatar’s Organ Donor Registry is now close to crossing the 300,000 mark,” said Dr Fadhil. “The people of Qatar, both citizens and residents, continue to show their support for Qatar’s unique, world-class and equitable donor registry.”

An 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. This feature is distinct to Qatar and differentiates the programme from that of neighbouring countries, the statement notes.

“This list literally saves the lives of people waiting for a viable organ,” said Dr Fadhil. “We aim to have 350,000 registered donors by the end of this year and will continue to have information booths at 11 locations across Qatar to help us reach this number.

"Members of the public will be able to visit them to find out more about becoming a registered organ donor, including what the process entails and its benefits. They can also have their questions about organ transplantation answered and register as a donor and receive their donor card.”

An organ transplant can be a life-saving procedure and it can also significantly improve the quality of life for someone with chronic organ failure. A deceased organ donor can save up to eight lives. It is also possible to donate a kidney or part of the liver while alive. Currently, Qatar offers kidney and liver transplantation programmes.

For more information about organ donation in Qatar and how to register as an organ donor, one can visit http://hamad.qa.

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