Instead of burying organs, donate them: Al-Musawi – People in Kuwait can donate corneas, kidney and pancreas
Kuwait performs 100 kidney transplants a year and according to Dr Mustafa Al-Musawi, President of Kuwait Transplant Society, the number is low for the population of Kuwait. “One hundred kidney transplants a year is a small number. Given the population, it should be around 250 transplants annually,” Dr Musawi explained as he encouraged everyone to donate their organs upon death
Speaking at a meeting organized at the Catholic Church in Kuwait City, Dr Musawi emphasized the need for organ donation. “If you die, instead of burying viable organs, donate them. We all believe this can save more lives and ethically speaking they are acceptable practice nowadays by every monotheistic religion,” he said. “There are shortages of organs elsewhere. We are not going to experience shortage if they only consider giving up their organs once they die, everyone of us will die one day and if that happens, if you signed the organ donation then it will be very helpful to everyone; there won’t be shortage at all,” he said
10percent The World Health Organization estimates that there are only 110,000 transplant operations carried out worldwide and the need is up to more
than a million per year. “Imagine only 10 percent of the requirements are being met annually. But if we only help each other and be tolerable and kind enough this percentage can be raised,” he reiterated. “In Kuwait alone there are lots of people waiting for organ donations, we signed cooperation with the Saudi Arabian government with regards to heart, lungs and liver transplants; since we do not carry out this type of operations here we give them the corneas, kidney and pancreas we get from donors,” he added. “Transplants in Kuwait are free and everyone including expats are being scheduled to receive needed organs,” Dr Musawi noted
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Second in region Kuwait now ranks second in the region in number of organ donations and transplants, following behind Iran. “We want people to know about the ethical way and standards of donating their organs once they die. We want them to know that people in Kuwait need organs necessary to save one’s life and be productive people and shine again,” he added. The Kuwait Transplant Society stepped up its awareness campaign for organ donation where people can pledge and sign a form from the society and donate their organs once they die. Musawi and his group are visiting diwaniyas, mosques and schools to educate people about organ donation. Donors may sign a consent card bearing his/her name and a registration form if they agree to donate organs and other tissues after death. A witness is necessary in order to be considered.
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