Karachi: Sindh Institute of Urology & Transplant’s transplant athletes who took part in the recently concluded 4th Middle East Transplant Games at Abu Dhabi have returned home after bagging six medals including one gold, three silver and two bronze.
Over hundred and fifty transplant athletes representing eleven Middle Eastern region took part in the four-day event.
SIUT transplant athletes who claimed medals in the competition included Sufyan Arshad who outclassed his opponents in 100 meters swimming competition and secured the gold by coming first. In another category of swimming Salman Akhtar captured second position in breast stroke and walked away with a silver. In field and tracks event Arshad Minhas and Salman Akhtar jointly bagged silver medals in two kilometre race. Hasan Zaman another transplanted patient claimed bronze in 100 meters. Rashid Kamal who also took part in 200 meters won the bronze.
A team of SIUT doctors was invited by the organizers along with a ten member contingent for participation in the games. SIUT had been sending their transplanted patients to various international events in the past also.
The whole philosophy behind the participation of transplanted patients to take part in the sport and other social event is that both donor and recipients can lead a normal and a healthy life after the transplant procedures. SIUT which is the leading medical institution in the country in the field of transplantation has so far performed over three thousand kidney transplant surgical procedures.
All the participating athletes had been transplanted at SIUT in the recent years.
The contingent also included Mohammad Talib a former national athlete and Ms. Fareeda Mazhar, Social Welfare Officer of SIUT who looks after the patients in their post transplantation period.