A new lease on life

That Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has launched an initiative to convince people to participate in an organ donation programme is commendable. In Pakistan, so many people have died avoidable deaths because of the lack of healthy organs required for their treatment. The PM announced the campaign during an event held to commemorate International Identity Day observed yesterday (September 16). The prime minister added that the government is planning to emboss a special logo on the CNICs of people who pledge to donate their organs. Whether or not the programme is viable, there is still some scepticism surrounding it. Pakistan has unfortunately been turned into a land where all good things lead to a crisis. Years ago, when restrictions were placed on organ donation and only a patient’s immediate blood family was allowed to become donors, it was done so because of growing cases of human trafficking and the illegal organ trade. What the government needs to do is ensure that this programme is not used to exploit the poor and needy. People are often compelled to trade their ‘organs’ to afford basic living for their families. The joke that ‘someone has to sell his/her kidney’ to buy the latest smartphone is, unfortunately, a reality for many who have to trade their body parts to afford not the latest technology but a meal.

The next step for the government is to see how many people are on board for this initiative. Are authorities willing to work to create awareness among people and combat disinformation? We saw during the Covid-19 vaccination programme and consistently with polio drives how mis/disinformation impedes the government’s efforts to improve healthcare in the country. With social media, factually incorrect ideas spread quickly. The government needs to devise a media strategy to tell people why such donations are important. Success stories from around the world should also be shared to convince people to sign up for this campaign.

But more important than all of this is to work on the delivery of national identity cards. Pakistan has approximately 2-3 million ‘stateless’ people. The success of these initiatives is tied to respecting the rights of millions of people. Every person, regardless of his or her social and financial status, should have access to healthcare opportunities. The state needs to work on these areas to ensure that the programme is not sabotaged before it formally starts. The government’s initiative of roping in individuals for health programmes is great; it now needs to fix the existing loopholes to make it a success. In health-related programmes that are sensitive by nature, an incoherent action plan on the part of the government would be a crime. All facets have to be considered to ensure the seamless operation of such initiatives.