Materia Medica Malaysiana

Guide on organ transplants in final stage

GUIDELINES for organ transplants are in the final stage and are expected to be completed in a month, reported Berita Harian.

The daily quoted Health Deputy Director-General Datuk Dr Ismail Merican as saying the guidelines were aimed at eliminating controversy on the issue of organ transplants with details on ethical aspects and problems related to organ transplant between unrelated persons.

He said the guidelines could prevent commercial-oriented organ transplants and transplants done under threat.

The criteria would be discussed with the Health Ministry and National Committee on Organ Transplant before approval, he added.

Dr Ismail, who is also Malaysian Liver Foundation chairman, said a committee would be set up to assess every application for organ transplant based on the guidelines.

He said the Health Ministry had agreed to make the Selayang Hospital the national centre for liver transplants.

He urged interested parties to carry out organ transplants in government hospitals.

Dr Ismail said 50% of Malaysians aged below 30 had no antibodies to fight hepatitis.

“This has put them in high risk of getting infected with hepatitis, especially those who have travelled to countries with inferior quality in health, “ he said.

Utusan Malaysia front-paged a story quoting the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar University in Egypt Dr Mohamed Sayed Tantawi as saying Malaysia is an exemplary Islamic state.

He said Malaysia conformed to the criteria of an Islamic state because Islam was concerned about bringing development to its followers.

He also said Islam did not condone intruders and attackers. Islam, he said, recognised the rights of its followers in religion and material aspects.

As a keynote speaker at the three-day world conference of Multaqa Ulama with the theme “The true religion in the globalisation era,” he agreed with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Muslims should co-operate with each other.