(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) began its second awareness programme of the 'Organ donation campaign' yesterday at City Center.
The event is part of the Ramadan campaign with an information booth staffed by experts from Qatar Organ Donation Centre (Hiba) and HMC volunteers.
The campaign aims at educating people on social and medical benefits of organ donation.
The number of people who have registered as organ donors in Qatar has increased significantly as a result of awareness campaigns, said Dr Riadh Fadhil, Director, Hiba.
People keen to become organ donors can sign the registry at the booth on the first floor of City Center.
Two people have to witness registration as the pledge is considered an organ donation will. Details of the donor are kept in an electronic record and the person is given an identification card.
However, once a death takes place, details are checked in the records. The team at the centre also approaches families of people who haven't registered
The number increased seven-fold, with 16,606 registering as donors during the campaign at City Center Mall over 40 days in 2013.
The campaign in 2012 received 2,500 donors.
One donor can save the lives of many people and the more people pledge to donate their organs and tissue after their death, the more people stand to benefit.
Organs and tissue that can be donated include heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, liver, intestines and corneas.
In Qatar, the major need has been for kidney transplants mainly because of the increasing number of diabetes who develop kidney failure and are on dialyses and the increase in the number of hypertensive patients
Kidneys and liver can be transplanted in Qatar. Other organs and any organ that cannot be matched to any patient here are offered to patients in Saudi Arabia
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.