HMC's critical care and transplant staff participate in organ donation course

About 200 critical care staff and transplant coordinators at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently participated in the second session of the Brain Death and Organ Donation Course organized by HMC’s Organ Transplant Committee at Hajar Auditorium, HMC Education Center.

The course is implemented in line with the transplant committee’s efforts to develop the organ donation and transplantation programs in Qatar, and is part of the continuing education of medical staff working in critical care areas such as intensive care units and emergency areas, as well as transplant coordinators. Topics included brain death, existing policies regarding organ donation, and the role of healthcare providers in the organ donation process, particularly in evaluating and maintaining potential donors, and in helping increase the availability of organs for transplantation.

Speaking at the event, Dr Yousef Maslamani, Chairman of the Organ Transplant Committee at HMC, emphasized the importance of communication and teamwork in the organ donation and transplantation process.

“The constant growth in the demand for organs leads to an increased waiting time and waiting list mortality,” said Dr Hassan Al Malki, Senior Consultant Nephrologist at HMC and Vice Chairman of the Organ Transplant Committee, who spoke on the legislative, religious and medical aspects as well as the past and current situation of organ donation and transplantation in Qatar. Dr Al Malki highlighted the huge disparity between the growth in the number of organ donors and the increase in the number of patients on the waiting list for organ transplants.

Dr Al Malki pointed out that the organ donation and transplantation process is a lengthy and complex process which involves early recognition of possible donors, early referrals, donor maintenance, full coordination with the rest of the transplant team, and patient selections.

“Cooperation between different teams is the main part of the transplantation process, and we believe staff education and awareness is a very important step towards increasing the number of organ donors at our hospitals,” Dr Al Malki added. Current transplantation programs available at HMC include transplant of kidneys, liver and pancreas.

Other speakers included Dr Dirk Deleu, who lectured on the clinical aspects of brain death, Dr Husain Alawadhi, who discussed the management and care of donors, and Dr Hatem El Shoubaki, who explained the steps needed in evaluating potential deceased donors.

Organs for transplantation can be sourced from both living and deceased donors. By Emiri decree, a person with full legal capacity may donate or make a living will to donate one or more of his or her body organs by virtue of a written statement attested by two fully capacitated witnesses. In the case of deceased donors, the consent of their next of kin of full capacity, up to second degree relatives, must be obtained for the donation.

The 2008 Declaration of Istanbul, to which Qatar is a signatory, prohibits organ trafficking and transplant tourism, and urges countries to develop national self-sufficiency in regard to supplying organs for transplantation.