On June 12, the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency (HOATTA) hosted a media sensitisation session on transplantation in Georgetown, Guyana. The program included presentations, discussions and activities on media reporting and the legal and ethical aspects of transplantation.
the act no.1 of 2022
Since the first living kidney donation and transplantation in 2008, Guyana has passed the legislation for Human Organ and Tissue Transplant- the Act No.1 of 2022. This provides a legal basis for organ and tissue donation and transplantation, ensuring that these services are conducted with transparency, medical integrity and public confidence.
about hoatta
The HOATTA was established to oversee the adherence to Act No.1 of 2022, making sure that the services are ethical and based on international best practices. It also aims to educate stakeholders, policymakers, medical professionals, the media, religious leaders and patients.
Since it's establishment in 2023, the HOATTA has focused its attention on building a deceased donation and transplantation prgramme while strengthening the living donation programme. Some notable achievements include the certification of Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation as a Transplant Center, the appointment of a transplant coordinator, and the training of GPHC staff on deceased donation. The HOATTA also developed management protocols for pre, peri and post-transplantation, and policies for the management of a waiting list and allocation criteria. More recently, the HOATTA, with leadership from the Ministry of Health, established the Human Leukocyte Antigen Laboratory, a critical component of the transplant programme.
objectives
Recognising the media’s power to influence public perception, promote accurate knowledge, and encourage a culture of organ donation, the HOATTA acknowledged the need for engagement with the media for responsible reporting.
This sensitisation session by the HOATTA aimed to:
- Educate media personnel on the current status of organ and tissue transplantation in Guyana.
- Clarify the legal and ethical aspects of transplantation.
- Provide accurate and up-to-date information to improve media reporting on transplantation-related issues.
- Encourage responsible and informed media coverage to enhance public awareness and trust in transplantation services.
- Foster collaboration between the media and the HOATTA to promote organ donation and transplantation.
Opening
The opening session was chaired by Dr. Kamela Bhemaul, member of HOATTA. She introduced Dr. Winsome Scott, a member of HOATTA, and Dr. Kim Eva Dickson, Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) representative of Guyana, who welcomed the participants. This was followed by Dr. Narine Singh, Chief Medical Officer and member of HOATTA, who gave a feature remark. opening session chaired by.
Dr. Scott highlighted the media's crucial role in shaping the understanding of transplantation stories and giving patients a voice to be heard.
(Organ transplantation) is a story of hope. A story of second chances. And at the heart of every transplant story is a person- a father, a mother, a friend.
Dr. Kim shared PAHO's role in promoting the equitable access to cell transplantation. Dr. Kim further emphasised the importance of accuracy, cultural sensitivity and ethics in reporting. She expressed PAHO's commitment to further supporting the Ministry of Health (MOH) and their excitement to collaborate with both the media and MOH.
Dr. Narine Singh addressed how misconceptions, fear and cultural sensitivities can fuel misguided knowledge regarding transplantation. He urged the partnership between the MOH and the media for responsible reporting and promoting transplantation in Guyana.
Together, we can change lives. Together, we can save lives.
introduction
Participants introduced themselves and shared their expectations for the session on an Expectation Board. One of the major expectations was on ways the media can disseminate the diverse knowledge, ranging from facts to patient stories.
Legal aspects of transplantation
An overview of HOATTA and Act No. 1 of 2022 was provided by Dr. Shanti Singh-Anthony. She highlighted HOATTA's recent work on building the capacity for transplant services, such as the establishment and training of personnel for the Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) laboratory, launched in March 2025. Dr. Singh-Anthony expressed her commitment to expanding the current initiative, which works closely with the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation, to a nationwide scale.
With effective public education and shaping cultural perceptions as one of HOATTA's goals, Dr. Singh-Anthony invited the participants to consider their importance in achieving them and opened up the floor to questions. A meaningful discussion took place regarding the difficulties of eliminating organ trafficking and the possibilities of reimbursing organ donations, which are done in some countries, such as Australia. Dr. Anthony-Singh noted the ongoing efforts to create a detailed checklist for the transplantation process, from pre-transplant investigation to post-transplant care, which will guide the investigation of the legitimacy of donors.
Ethical Considerations
Dr. Narine Singh conducted a session on the ethical considerations. He identified some of the most significant ethical issues: the question of how death should be defined in cases of deceased donors, how to fairly allocate organs, and whether or not to compensate donors. Dr. Singh introduced the following key guiding principles:
- Autonomy - the right of individuals to make decisions; obtaining informed consent
- Beneficience - physicians should act in the best interest of the patients
- Non-maleficence - protecting minors from unconsented organ removal
- Justice - allocation of organs guided by clinical criteria and ethical norms, rather than by financial or other considerations; maintaining transparency
Media reporting guidelines
Dr. Singh-Anthony explained how the media can operate ethically through the use of person-first language and key guiding principles. She emphasised how the media can make an overall impact on the lives of people. The media has the power to debunk myths, educate the public, foster conversations and willingness to become a donor, highlight system gaps, encourage government actions and share milestones with the public on transplantation efforts, promoting this life-saving treatment option.
key principles for Ethical reporting
Key principles for Ethical interviewing
final interactive discussion
Dr. David Samaroo and Dr. Pedro Lewis, both members of HOATTA, moderated the final discussion section. They urged the participants, especially the media personnel, to raise organ diseases as a social issue. They urged the media to encourage families at home to engage in discussions about organ donation. In doing so, the media should humanise the information, as only then can the people accept these stories and start to ponder.
One of the biggest misconceptions in kidney donation is that the life expectancy of a donor decreases. Dr. Baldeo Singh, a nephrologist, debunked this myth, clarifying that the remaining kidney will accommodate and grow larger to compensate for the donated kidney. Dr. Baldeo Singh further noted that the preference for organs from a living donor rather than a deceased donor, due to cultural or spiritual perceptions, should be addressed in the future.
Finally, participants discussed the importance of patient stories in giving inspiration and hope to other patients, highlighting the need to foster a greater willingness in patients to share their stories.
thank you
Thank you to all the media personnel, physicians and HOATTA members for their engagement!