Two patients in critical condition have received life-saving kidney transplants at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), thanks to the donation of organs from a brain-dead donor.
The donor, Sultan Zafar, was a 23-year-old dental student who sustained fatal head injuries in a traffic accident. After a week in the intensive care unit, doctors declared him brain-dead. His mother, Dr Mehr Afroze—a consultant at SIUT—chose to donate her son’s kidneys, allowing two patients on dialysis to receive new hope.
The transplants were completed by SIUT’s surgical team during the early hours, offering a fresh chance at life to individuals with no family donors. The institute termed the act both healing and historic.
Professor Adib Rizvi, head of SIUT, called the donation a noble act and said it serves as a reminder that even in moments of deep grief, life can be passed on. He encouraged the public to support deceased organ donation as a humane and necessary choice.
Organ donation from brain-dead individuals is legal in Pakistan, but cultural hesitation and limited public knowledge hinder its practice. Experts note that each year, countless patients lose their lives awaiting a transplant that never comes.
SIUT has long led efforts in this field, with its first deceased donor transplant taking place nearly three decades ago. However, progress remains slow due to societal resistance.
