HMC Encourages People to Sign up as Organ Donors During Ramadan

This Ramadan Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) aims to raise public awareness about organ donation and is asking the community to consider giving the gift of life and registering as an organ donor. This is part of HMC’s annual organ donation campaign, which started on the first day of the Holy Month of Ramadan, and will run until the end of the year in various locations around Qatar.

Dr. Riadh Fadhil, Director of the Qatar Organ Donation Center at HMC, said the main objective of the campaign was to increase awareness within the community about organ donation, to increase the number of registered donors and to reduce any concerns or misconceptions that people have regarding the process. 

The campaign will see booths in shopping malls and other prominent locations around the country, staffed by Qatar Organ Donation Center (Hiba) staff. The public will be able to find out more about becoming a registered organ donor, what it entails and its benefits, as well as having their questions about organ transplantation answered. They will also be able to register as a donor on the spot and receive a donor card.

An organ transplant can be a life-saving procedure. It can also significantly improve the quality of life for someone with chronic organ failure. These life-saving organs come from deceased donors, who have pledged during their lifetime to give their organs to someone in need. 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. Qatar offers kidney and liver transplantation programs managed by a team of highly skilled professionals.

 “In Doha, we have a team of highly skilled professionals working in organ donation and transplantation,” Dr. Fadhil said. “We have state of the art facilities and provide a safe and compassionate service, in contrast to the commercial transplantation done abroad that carries high mortality rates and the risk of serious complications.”  

“Under the Doha Donation Accord, we make sure we look after the donors and their families. For living donors, we provide health insurance for life, as well as covering any loss of income due to working days missed during the operation and recovery. We also honor our donors for giving this precious gift to someone who badly needs it during an annual ceremony. A deceased donor's family receives the support of our Social Service Department and our government covers all hospital expenses.”

“We need more donors to register in Qatar so nobody has to face losing a loved one while they are waiting for an organ. Self-sufficiency in organ donation as a society cannot be achieved without community solidarity."

Dr. Fadhil and his team have briefed more than 400 HMC staff members, who will be involved in the upcoming campaign, with the messages that needed to be conveyed to the multi-cultural society. This means they will be able to support members of the public to make a decision about becoming an organ donor and in their native tongue, in most cases.

HMC is asking the public to visit one of the organ donation stands and booths that they will see during the evenings of the Holy Month of Ramadan, to learn more about organ donation and, for those who are interested, to register as a donor. We also invite the public to visit our website http://organdonation.hamad.qa/en/ for more information.