KARACHI, Jan 15: Expressing disagreement over the composition of an inspection team of the Human Organ Transplantation Authority, the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation has urged the federal government to delay an upcoming visit of the HOTA team to SIUT for some time.

At a press conference on Tuesday, SIUT director Prof Adibul Hasan Rizvi said the HOTA inspection team arriving here on Jan 23 and 24 included a couple of persons allegedly involved in promoting and performing commercial kidney transplants, negating the aspirations of the people who wanted to see an ethical foundation for transplantation.

He told newsmen that SIUT was forwarding its reservations about the inspection team to the federal health ministry and HOTA, with a request to review the composition of the inspection team at the earliest for the sake of making HOTA a purposeful and credible organ of the government, and also postpone the inspection team’s visit to SIUT till changes in the team were made.

About a month back HOTA, at a meeting presided over by caretaker Federal Health Minister Ejaz Rahim, had decided to start physical inspection of about 30 medical institutions that had been accorded interim recognition to carry out transplants under the Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Ordinance, 2007.

HOTA, tasked to regulate the transplantation of human organs and tissues in an ethical and transparent manner, had formed five inspection committees to visit medical institutions in Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Karachi, and Rawalpindi/Islamabad.

Till Oct 2007, HOTA had allowed 19 hospitals and institutions across the country to carry out transplant activities on a temporary basis, without undertaking any physical inquiry about the skilled manpower, equipment, specialised services and other relevant facilities, for which HOTA was criticised by senior kidney surgeons.

It was said that HOTA was acting in haste and had also issued interim certificates of recognition to a few institutions which had allegedly earned a bad name for their corrupt or unethical practices in the name of kidney transplantation.

The SIUT press conference was held to mark the discharge of two patients, Zarina Yosuf (Dadu) and Kashmala (D.G. Khan), who had got cadaver kidneys transplanted on them at the institute a couple of weeks back.

SIUT considered the development as the first deceased organ donation in the country after the promulgation of the human organ and tissues transplant ordinance on Sept 4.

While introducing the family members of Prof Abdul Razzak Memon, the deceased organ donor, and the acceptors, Prof Rizvi observed that it was the result of a long and joint struggle and efforts by doctors, members of civil society and the media that the country could see the introduction of a set of laws that addressed many of the issues related to organ transplants, while aiming at eliminating the chances of exploitation of the poor, the much condemned organ trade and under duress kidney transplants in the country.

The SIUT director said the 2007 ordinance paved the way for the grant of relief to patients suffering from heart, liver, lungs or kidney problems as it allowed the acquisition of organs of transplantation from cadavers.

However, he was critical of a couple of decisions taken by the Monitoring Authority established under section 8 of the ordinance and said the decisions amounted to undermining the process of motivation required for the kidney transplants.

Prof Rizvi, who is also the president-elect of the Transplant Society of Pakistan, said it was unfortunate that some of the persons on the HOTA inspection committee were those who had earned a bad name for their association in “kidney sale” activities. The government should ensure that committees and forums comprise people of good character, enjoying ethically good reputation and non-controversial status, he said, adding that the proper implementation of the law necessarily required a transparent, non-controversial and ethical HOTA and inspection teams.

In Karachi alone, according to a survey, about 2,000 people are declared brain dead as a result of different accidents and diseases, he said, adding that if people were educated on the subject and motivated for donations, there could be life support and relief to about 17 people from one person agreeing to donate organs and tissues of his body for therapeutic purposes.

In reply to a question, he said that at present one transplant of kidney was performed at SIUT daily, which would double from Feb 15 when organs would be available to it through deceased donors as well. Prof Rizvi, on behalf of the SIUT teams of doctors and staff, acknowledged the contribution of Dr Memon’s family, represented by sons of the deceased at the press conference, and said it was a timely and generous decision of the family that gave two persons a “gift of life”.

Prof Anwar Naqvi and Dr Fatema Jawwad of SIUT said that deceased organ donations were the answer to end-stage organ failure patients, which could be ensured through full participation of the community and the media to create awareness.