Approval of Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Bill hailed

KARACHI- The approved Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Bill will benefit the patients of end stage organ failure of kidney, liver, heart, lungs and pancreas, as the practice of organ transplantation will ultimately be enhanced in the country.
The approval of said bill from Senate and National Assembly is really a historic moment for the whole nation, while Pakistan now stands in line with many other countries especially ten Islamic countries where the programme of deceased organ donation has been implemented.
Director Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Prof Dr Adib Rizvi, expressed these notions while addressing a joint Press conference held on Saturday at the SIUT.
Chairman Health Committee National Assembly Dr Nadeem Ahsan, Abdul Sattar Edhi and representatives of the Transplantation Society of Pakistan (TSP), Pakistan Society of Neph-rology (PSN) and Pakistan Association of Urological Surgeons (PAUS) were also present.
Prof Rizvi said that the Senate of Pakistan unanimously adopted the Bill on Wednesday 10th February 2010 after a struggle spanning over twenty years.
He said, By implementing this legislation, the exploitation of the poor vendors who were attracted to sell their organs for a meagre sum, with the large amount going to the middle men and other concerned people, will be legally stopped.
The country will be spared of the label of being called as an 'organ bazaar.
The Bill, now a law will regulate the removal, storage and transplantation of human organs and tissues. It will lead to an era of Deceased (Cadaver) Organ Donation where any adult can donate the organs for transplantation in case of brain death.
For this achievement, the credit goes to the members of the parliament, both upper and lower houses, who gave the cause of saving a human life the due importance.
Dr Rizvi said that the media had helped tremendously in creating awareness about organ transplantation. The support by every member of the society is also acknowledged as without that success could not be had in a democratic country.
We must not forget encouragement and advice provided by the World Health Organisation and International Transplantation Society in acquiring strong ethical transplantation.
It is also an opportunity to thank the Standing Committee on Health in the National Assembly, which played an important role in getting the Bill through the parliament. All the political parties deserve thanks for this bipartisan approach forgetting their differences in saving human lives. Equal support was provided by the Ministry of Health, he said.
Chairman Health Committee National Assembly, Dr Nadeem Ahsan, said that it was the only bill, which was not only approved unanimously but also adopted enthusiastically.
He said, Dr Adeeb like people born in centuries; he is the national asset. His charismatic personality has also played a vital role in parliament to approve the bill.
On the recommendation of the leader of the opposition, the rule 123 had been relaxed in the assembly while adopting the bill; I think this was the historic moment in the parliament.
Renowned social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi said that the country had remained backward as compared to the developed world; we should go ahead in the right direction.
Secretary General TSP Naqi Zafar, Secretary General PSM Iffat Yazdani, Ex President PSN Prof Toufail, President PSN Fazal Akhtar, Treasurer TSP Dr Saadat Khan, Ex President PAUS Sajjad Hussain, Secretary PAUS Hammad Akhtar and SIUT Media Coordinator Fatima Jawad, unanimously said that Dr Rizvi and his team had potential to achieve any thing, while the credit of the bills approval goes to him and his team.
The untiring efforts of Dr Rizvi and his team got the bill passed.
6,000 citizens sign on campaign banner
Volunteers of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) have obtained 6000 signatures of the citizens on banner under a signature campaign launched by SIUT against the sale of organ.
At the occasion the volunteers, gathered from citys different schools to help the staff of the SIUT, have shown the banner to media professionals and participants of the press conference.