App to streamline organ donation process in Oman soon

Oman Tuesday 23/March/2021 21:19 PM
By: Times News Service
App to streamline organ donation process in Oman soon
The app is being developed by the Ministry of Health, which is running campaigns of the importance of organ donation, by people who are alive. Photo: Shutterstock

Muscat: An app is being developed to make it easier for people to donate organs, which will be given, once they pass away, to patients in need of transplants.

The app is being developed by the Ministry of Health, which is running campaigns of the importance of organ donation, by people who are alive.

“There is no source of human organs apart from the donors themselves,” said Dr Ahmed Al Busaidi of the ministry’s National Organ Transplant Programme. “These organs cannot be taken from them without their consent, or that of their guardian after they have passed away. To receive an organ in exchange for payment is also illegal: this is prohibited by trafficking laws in Oman and other countries.”

“In Oman, the law requires for there to be a donor, in case kidney or liver transplants need to be conducted,” he said. “Uncomplicated operations are performed here, but the ministry does send more complex cases abroad, and in this case, the patient and donor travel together, after the required medical tests have been completed.”

“However, it is important that families understand the importance of organ donation, because even if the deceased says in their will that they wish to donate their organs, their immediate relatives also need to agree to this request,” Al Busaidi added.

“Without their permission, we unfortunately cannot proceed. Even if the individual in question has filled out the donor card and entered the required forms, family permission is vital, which is why we ask donors to explain to their families the importance of organ donation, and ask them to honour their requests even after they have passed away.”

Al Busaidi went on to add that organ failures made life difficult not just for those suffering from them, but their families as well. He urged everyone in the country suffering from organ failure to contact the Ministry of Health for replacements.

“However, due to the great scarcity of these organs, the numbers of patients suffering from organ failure are increasing continuously,” he added. “We take many efforts to encourage people to donate organs, both while they are alive, and after they die. One of our programmes is a post-mortem organ donation initiative, which will help carry out more organ transplant operations for patients on the waiting list, especially those who do not have donors.

“We are currently working on a plan to spread among people the culture of organ donation after they pass away,” Al Busaidi explained. We hope this will contribute to alleviating the suffering of people with organ failure.”