Kidneys from Brain-Dead Donor Give New Life to Two Patients at SIUT

The Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) has carried out a rare and impactful deceased organ donation, transplanting two kidneys from a brain-dead donor to critically ill patients, local media reported.

The donor, Sultan Zafar, a 23-year-old dental student, suffered fatal head injuries in a severe accident. After spending a week in the intensive care unit, doctors declared him brain-dead. In an extraordinary act of compassion, his mother, Dr Mehr Afroze, a nephrologist at SIUT, agreed to donate his organs.

Medical experts at SIUT described the surgery as a lifeline for the two recipients, both of whom had been on dialysis and had no living donors. The transplants were successfully performed by SIUT’s team of urologists and anaesthetists in the early morning hours.

SIUT’s director, Professor Adib Rizvi, praised the family’s selfless action and urged the public to see organ donation as a way to bring life out of tragedy. He described the moment as one filled with humanity and courage, calling for greater public awareness and understanding of deceased organ donation in Pakistan.

Although the country has laws supporting organ donation, awareness and willingness among the general public remain limited. Medical experts say many patients die every year while waiting for transplants that could save their lives if more families agreed to donate the organs of brain-dead loved ones.

SIUT pioneered deceased donor transplants in Pakistan, having performed the first one in 1995. This recent case adds to its legacy and highlights the importance of supporting this medical practice.