Most people can be considered for organ and tissue donation. In order to ensure that donations are as safe as possible, the donor’s medical and behavioral history is reviewed in a similar manner to that of a blood donor. This reduces the risk of transmitting disease to a transplant patient.
There are two types of donors:
- Living donor
- Deceased donor
Some organs, such as kidneys, lungs and a section of the liver, can be donated during life. However, most organ and tissue donations come from people who have expressed a wish during their lifetime to allow their organs to be used to save a life upon their death. In Qatar, this is done by a formal process where they sign up to the Organ Donor Register or through an informal discussion of their wishes concerning donation with their family members.
