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The Doha International Forum for Organ Donation organized by the Qatar Organ Donation Center at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) concluded yesterday with the launch of the world’s first international academy on the important issue of organ donation.
The Doha International Academy for Organ Donation will become a hub for resources and training materials necessary to assist other countries to establish their own programs.
The upcoming facility is launched under the umbrella of HMC and will utilize the expertise of distinguished international faculty to promote education and research in organ donation in Qatar and internationally.
The launch saw a distinguished group of six international leaders in organ donation and transplantation pledge their support for the Academy and further support HMC’s goal to achieve self-sufficiency in organ donation.
The panel included renowned scientists and researchers from the United States (US), Australia, United Kingdom (UK) and Europe who met with senior leadership at HMC and discussed operational strategies and policies that will underpin the work of the Doha International Academy for Organ Donation.
HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, the Minister of Public Health said Qatar’s organ donation program, with a unified national waiting list, had become a model for other countries to emulate.
“With fairness and equity at its heart, our program has been recognized internationally and is something we can be proud of,” said Her Excellency. “Qatar’s national strategy for organ transplantation is not only world-leading in terms of the clinical and ethical standards it applies, but also one that is appropriate to the healthcare needs of our growing country and our diverse population.”
Dr. Yousuf Al Maslamani Medical Director of Hamad General Hospital and Director of the Organ Transplant Center said the Academy will bolster Qatar’s current organ donation and transplantation programs and support plans for its expansion.
“The Academy, with its group of eminent advisors, will also empower our mission to become a center of excellence for organ donation bot regionally and internationally,” Dr. Al Maslamani said.
Dr. Abdulla Al Ansari HMC’s Deputy Chief, Medical, Academic and Research Affairs for Surgical Services said it was a very exciting time for Qatar’s program.
“We are certain that the Academy will support Qatar to achieve self-sufficiency in organ donation to meet the needs of the patients locally,” he said. “At the same time will have a wider impact on the region by being a hub for collaborative research, education and training in the field of organ donation.”
Members of the advisory panel praised Qatar’s unique and innovative approach to organ donation and transplantation.
Dr. Dominique Martin, Senior Lecturer in Health Ethics at Deakin University in Australia said that Qatar had demonstrated that a small country can deliver on its vision for a safe and fair organ donation program.
“The program of organ donation and transplantation is inclusive of all people living in Qatar, regardless of their nationality, race, gender, income status, social background. It is this spirit of equity and inclusion that is the idea behind the Academy,” Dr. Martin said.
Professor Gabriel Danovitch from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) said that Qatar’s commitment to a fair system of organ donation as reflected in the Doha Model is an example to the region and to the world and is a justifiable source of national pride.
“In this country, you can be a donor as well as a recipient. That is a principle for this model that I think is very important for the region. We are here to support that principle and the leadership of the country as they continue with their commitment to this principle.”
According to Dr. Mirela Busic, an expert on organ donation from Croatia and a member of the panel, the Academy will play a pivotal role in promoting the Doha Model in the region and internationally.
“The purpose of our visit is also to learn how this model can be applied to other countries and regions to increase the rate of deceased organ donation,” she said.
Director of the Qatar Organ Donation Centre (Hiba), Dr. Riadh Fadhil said “Since its launch in 2011 the “Doha Model” of Organ Donation has achieved remarkable success in changing the attitudes of Qatar’s multicultural society and we have also seen an increase in donors.”
