Dr Rizvi decries illegal cadaver trade

Karachi

Dr Adeeb-ul-Hasan Rizvi, an eminent urologist and the head of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), deplored on Friday that despite the promulgation of laws on cadaver donation and organ transplant, illegal trade of body parts was still underway in Pakistan where thousands of people died of organ failure every year.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of a compilation of decrees in favour of organ donations titled “Majmooa-e-Khutbat” at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), he said thousands of people in Pakistan died from liver failure because of infections caused by Hepatitis B and C, and called for taking urgent steps to control the epidemic of this particular viral infection.

The ceremony was also attended and addressed by a religious scholar and the chief of Pakistan Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Dr Noor Ahmed Shahtaj, the director of the Shaikh Zayed Islamic Centre of Karachi University, KPC Secretary AH Khanzada, senior journalist Ghazi Salahuddin and others.

Dr Rizvi said that one person could save at least 17 others by donating organs after death. However, he lamented, despite all awareness, religious decrees and persuasion, till now only five people had announced they would donate their organs after death.

He termed cadaver donation as the best Sadqa-e-Jaria, and asserted that now even the Federal Shariat Court had provided endorsement for the cause.

According to Dr Rizvi, organ transplants are successfully being carried out in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan while Iran is now the biggest centre for organ transplantation in this region and also the Islamic world.

He lauded Pakistan’s Islamic scholars for issuing decrees in favour of organ donation, saying that people should state their willingness to donate their organs in their wills to save precious lives.

Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman said the religious scholars had done their job by issuing decrees, and it was now up to the media to spread awareness among the people that donating their organs was not prohibited in Islam.

He appealed to the masses to support Dr Rizvi in his struggle for saving countless lives, urging the media to disseminate information that there was no restriction on organ donation. He also appealed to the government to grant Dr Rizvi a helicopter to save time during his frequent travels to Sukkur to treat people.

Dr Noor Ahmed Shahtaj said all religious scholars in Pakistan had unanimously declared organ donation to be lawful and not against Shariat.