New transplant hospital to tackle kidney disease in Qatar

on Dec 02 tagged by admin

A new transplant hospital is set to help tackle the growing kidney disease problem in Qatar.

One in ten people in Qatar have chronic kidney disease. End-stage kidney disease poses a particular problem, with around 600 patients receiving dialysis but only 60 patients on the active waiting list to receive a kidney transplant. Although dialysis is one means of treating end-stage kidney disease, organ transplant remains the most effective method of treating the condition as it allows the patient a significantly improved quality of life.

However, up until very recently demand for organ transplant procedures in Qatar far outweighed the capabilities of medical facilities to deliver, with many patients having to travel abroad to receive treatment.

This is now set to change, thanks to the launch of the new Qatar Centre for Organ Transplantation (QCOT) which opened earlier this week.

The centre, which is a project by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), will focus on providing renal, liver and pancreas transplant programmes. It will offer a wide range of support services for transplant patients, live donors and the families of deceased donors, including counselling and after-care services.

One of the main aims of the centre is promote organ donation and increase the number of donors, making more organs available for transplant. With this aim in mind, a donor registry service will be launched next year.

The centre launch is part of a drive to improve transplant facilities in Qatar, with the ultimate aim of becoming self-sufficient in supplying demand for organ transplant treatment.

The first QCOT centre is to be the cornerstone of a much broader development programme and will act as the reference point for further transplant centres in the region.

Around 40-45% of cases of end-stage kidney disease are attributable to diabetes mellitus, another medical condition which has a high prevalence in Qatar. The latest statistics from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) report 20.2% prevalence of all types of diabetes in Qatar and still rising, making it crucial that Qatar medical facilities are committed to tackling the disease and associated medical conditions.