Today's Edition
LAMIA AL QATTAN (ABU DHABI)
The UAE has launched Hayat (Life), the national programme for organ and tissue donation and transplantation, aiming to unify national efforts in this field, organise and develop transplant and donation operations, provide healthcare for organ failure patients, and enhance health, safety, and quality of life in the community.
The UAE approves organ transplant operations in instances of brain death in accordance with Federal Law No. 5 of 2016.
The Hayat programme, a result of collaboration between various federal and local entities, allows any UAE citizen or resident aged 21 and above to register in the organ donation programme. Upon completion of registration, an electronic donor card will be sent to the registrant.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is the first and only organ transplant centre in the UAE, providing advanced care from initial planning stages to post-transplant follow-up. It has conducted 386 transplants since 2017, including heart, liver, lung, pancreas, and complex multi-organ transplants.
Dr. Manish Madnani, a specialist in digestive system, obesity, general, and laparoscopic surgery, emphasised the life-changing impact of organ transplants, explaining that replacing a failed organ through surgery allows patients to lead semi-normal lives.
The success of these surgeries depends on finding a healthy donor organ, and Hayat encourages posthumous donations, potentially saving up to eight lives and improving the lives of around 75 patients per donation. Madnani underscored the critical need for organ donation, pointing out that in the US alone, over 100,000 people are waiting for organ donations to save their lives.
Every 10 minutes, a person is added to this list, and 20 people lose their lives daily due to a lack of available organs. If everyone commits to donating their organs, there would be no shortage, and many lives could be saved. There are specific organs, such as kidneys, liver parts, or bone marrow, that living individuals can donate to their relatives, Madnani said.
He also commended the leadership and government of the UAE for constantly striving to elevate healthcare standards in the country. Noting the psychological importance of being close to loved ones during such procedures, Nujoud Mahmoud, who had undergone organ transplantation outside the UAE due to her battle with diabetes that affected her kidneys, expressed gratitude for the opening of this opportunity, hoping that the new programme in the UAE will ease the process for patients.
