NADRA’s eHealth Initiative to Enable Transparency in Organ Transplant Procedures in Partnership Shifa International Hospital

ISLAMABAD: In yet another significant development, the health sector is all set to leverage NADRA’s ehealth digital suite ensuring transparency and fairness in organ allocation and transplantation.

Chairman NADRA Tariq Malik and CEO Shifa International Dr. Manzoor ul Haq Qazi inked an agreement on the provision of an ID Verification solution which would authenticate and verify the patients as well as donors of organ transplantation.

Taking stock of the perennial issues in the healthcare sector, NADRA Chairman Tariq Malik has rolled out ID Verification Solution under the umbrella of e-health suite. It has been envisioned that the initiative will curb illegal trafficking of organ transplant through an airtight mechanism of compliance, registration and swift and hassle-free verification in organ allocation and transplant.

While speaking on the occasion, Chairman NADRA said, “NADRA has pivoted ID Ecosystem to introduce e-health initiatives, one of which is the current solution that will make the process of organ donor and transplant transparent and accountable. NADRA, the most responsive public sector organization, has once again demonstrated its utmost commitment towards providing a very smart solution to resolve one of the longstanding issues in health sector that is to combat illegal organ trafficking.”

“We have introduced digital ehealth suite for swift verification of recipient and donor, which will further help health service providers to combat illegal trade and transplantation of human cells, organs, and tissues”, the Chairman added.

“We are confident that signing of this agreement under e-health initiatives will further open up the venues of collaboration with hospitals and medical institutions conducting organ transplantation nationwide. NADRA is already in receipt of expressions of interest from 22 hospitals from across the country to implement this initiative”, the chairman concluded.

Dr. Manzoor ul Haq Qazi) CEO Shifa International Hospital said, “The miseries of the patients that go through the procedure of organ and tissue transplantation can never be ignored. We have been welcoming such patients since long but the regulatory processes involved in such procedures were lengthy and encouraged illegal trade in the sector. Thanks to the NADRA who have equipped us with its efficient and transparent Biometric Verification System, which will speed up verification and registration for the transplantation of human cells, organs and tissues, lessening the sufferings of the recipients and donors.”

NADRA’s digital service will also help the hospital authorities to make an informed decision with regard to permitting the donation of organ by unrelated individuals. The ID Verification System shall authenticate recipient’s claim of lacking eligible family members as per the family record present in NADRA’s database.

Under this collaboration, Shifa International Hospitals will be equipped with a 24/7 system through which identification and verification of donors and patients of organ transplant will be carried through an absolute hassle-free biometric verification system (BVS).

It is pertinent to mention that prior to the BVS, the patients as well as the donors for the organ and tissue transplantation had to go through a prolonged and agonizing procedure to get themselves registered with the Punjab Human Organ Transplant Authority (PHOTA).