New policy to ensure safe organ donation

DHAKA, OCT 14: A policy will soon be formulated to ensure safe donation of body organs in accordance with the Organ Transplantation Act 1999, said sources at the health and family welfare ministry. This will put a stop to illegal organ trading. A five-member committee has prepared a draft policy with some specific recommendations. It will be submitted to the health ministry in the coming week.
The committee has recommended formation of a seven-member national committee to monitor human organ transplantations across the country. The national committee will include a national professor, a retired justice, representatives from the press council and the human rights council, representatives of the Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) and members of the health ministry and the directorate general of health services (DGHS).
Surgeons, urologists  and nephrologists involved with organ transplants will not be allowed in the national committee, said the head of the five-member committee, Prof Harun-ur-Rashid.
“Earlier, the lack of a proper organ transplant policy created problems. The new policy would stop illegal trafficking of body organs and ensure safe donation,” he added.

The draft policy has been prepared in the light of the Organ Transplantation Act, 1999, which strictly prohibits selling or buying of human organs and advertisements to that effect. The policy will focus on some major sectors of organ transplant, including fixing a criteria for hospitals and clinics for conducting transplants, formation of a national committee and an organisational committee for hospitals where such transplants will take place.
In another development, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSSMU) will resume  kidney transplants from Saturday after a one-and-a-half-month break. Also, the Kidney Foundation will soon resume kidney transplants. It has completed 10 DNA tests to verify the claims of relationship between donors and recipients.
The director-general of the DGHS, Prof. Khandaker Shefayet Ullah, told The Independent on Friday: “The new policy will be implemented soon to encourage organ transplants in the country at a minimum cost.”
Recommendation of the committee of the DGHS:
In Joypurhat, at least 42 people in Kalai upazila sold their kidneys for money. A five-member committee comprising assistant directors of the DGHS, Dr Ekramul Haque and Dr Khondakar ATM Farhad Hossain, deputy programme manager (logistic) Dr Mizanur Rahman Arif, assistant director Dr Shamsuzzaman and deputy programme manager (EoC) Dr Yeasmin Rahman, visited the place and submitted a report.
The probe report recommended immediate formulation of an organ transplantation policy to implement the existing act, mandatory DNA test to identify the relationship between kidney donors and recipients, fixing a standard for hospitals and clinics conducting such transplants and creating awareness about donation of human organs.

Source: theindependentbd.com

Read More on Hotels Dhaka