PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Transplant Regulatory Authority has allowed Combined Military Hospital Peshawar to carry out renal and corneal transplantation after an inspection team found that the level of facilities and specialists there fulfilled the laid down criteria.

An MTRA inspection team, which visited CMH to evaluate the infrastructure and availability of renal and corneal transplant surgeons and facilities, decided to grant approval to it to carry renal and corneal transplantation. CMH has become the fourth institutes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to get certification for renal transplant surgeries.

The MTRA, which was established to pave way for legal organ transplantations in line with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Medical Transplant Regulatory Act 2014, has so far authorised Institute of Kidney Diseases (IKD), Rehman Medical Institute (RMI) and North West General Hospital (NWGH) for renal transplants.

The CMH, according to MTRA members, has the services of three most senior surgeons with vast experience in transplants in CMH Rawalpindi and it is appropriate to start cornea and renal procedure.

Health dept to launch awareness campaign on organ donation

The CHM has already enlisted six patients for renal and seven for corneal transplants. “The surgeries will be conducted as soon as the process of recognition is completed,” health officials said.

According to them, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Lady Reading Hospital, Kuwait Teaching Hospital and (RMI) have been given permission for corneal transplant.

Officials said that establishment of MTRA led to restoration of eyesight of about 500 people, who received free cornea and underwent free procedure. They said that getting more institution recognised meant that more people would benefit.

MTRA administrator Profr Asif Malik gave approval to CMH after an inspection committee including Dr Fazal Majeed, Dr Akhtar Nawaz and Dr Muneeb Ahmed presented a report to him about it.

Officials said that prior to establishment of MTRA, people travelled to Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore for renal and corneal transplants.

However, the progress of MTRA hadn’t been to a desired level owing to lack of resources. MTRA was set up in 2016, following an incident of illegal transplant in Nowshera district, to stop the practice.

However, it still lacks office and staff to carry out its plan of setting up regional centres in the province.

Officials said that there were many hospitals that wanted to start transplants but the MTRA did not have presence there.

They said that the authority required about Rs200 million to set up office and hire staff to be able to start full-fledged activities.

A demand for the amount had already been sent to chief secretary to purchase furniture and digital cameras etc besides hiring about 95 staffers to extend activities to the areas.

The health department is awaiting response regarding the approval of the grant. It will also launch an awareness campaign to inculcate sense of organ donation among the people.

Officials said that the province depended on the corneas sent by the Pakistani doctors from the US and other countries because back home people didn’t know about donating organs.

Worldwide, 16 organs are being transplanted to save lives and restore human body’s functions.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2019