EMU Hosted a Panel on Organ Donation

Eastern Mediterranean University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health Management, in collaboration with the TRNC Ministry of Health, organised a panel on organ donation in the TRNC and an organ donation event.

Having taken place with the slogan “The Most Beautiful Trace You Can Leave for Life’, the event was held at Mustafa Afşin Ersoy Hall at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, 30 May 2019. Speaking at the panel opening, EMU Health Sciences Faculty Dean Prof. Dr.  Mehtap Malkoç stated that EMU Health Sciences Faculty provides support both on the educational and social dimensions. Adding that the society’s awareness regarding organ donation is at a high level, Prof. Dr. Malkoç expressed her pleasure in living in a sensitive community with social awareness.  Prof. Dr. Malkoç concluded her speech by stating that their aim is to further educate the society towards this purpose and increase the society’s participation and support in organ donation.

EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty Dean Prof. Dr Nahide Gökçora also delivered a speech at the event and stated that the Cypriot community is well-aware of the importance of organ donation but the donations have not yet reached a desirable level. Emphasising the importance of raising awareness, Prof. Dr. Gökçora added that all levels of society have important duties in this respect.

Following the opening addresses, the panel commenced under the moderatorship of EMU Health Sciences Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Mehtap Malkoç and  EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty Dean Prof. Dr. Nahide Gökçora.

During the panel, Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital Nephrology Department Chief Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duriye Deren Oygar, EMU Health Sciences Faculty Vice Dean Assist. Prof. Dr. Gülten Sucu Dağ, EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty academic staff member Expert Psychologist Naife Sevdalı Zaim, and TRNC Ministry of Health Organ Transplant Coordinator Meral Yükseliş shared their experiences on the current state of organ donations in the TRNC, human cell  tissue organ transplant act, brain death, experiences of patients and their relatives, psychological effects of organ donation, global problems encountered and recommendations for solutions.

Another guest of the panel was Veli Çelik, who is the first patient ever in the TRNC to have a heart transplant. Veli Çelik spoke about his illness and things he encountered during the organ transplant process. At the end of the panel which is the first organization of its kind in the TRNC, TRNC Ministry of Health Officials also received registrations for organ donations. During the panel, Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital Nephrology Department Chief Assoc. Prof. Dr. Duriye Deren Oygar, EMU Health Sciences Faculty Vice Dean Assist. Prof. Dr. Gülten Sucu Dağ, EMU Dr. Fazıl Küçük Medicine Faculty academic staff member Expert Psychologist Naife Sevdalı Zaim, and TRNC Ministry of Health Organ Transplant Coordinator Meral Yükseliş shared their experiences on the current state of organ donations in the TRNC, human cell  tissue organ transplant act, brain death, experiences of patients and their relatives, psychological effects of organ donation, global problems encountered and recommendations for solutions.