Published: Feb 18, 2010 12:17 AM Updated: Feb 18, 2010 12:23 AM
RIYADH: A committee for the development of organ transplantation in the Kingdom was formed on Wednesday by the Health Ministry under the direction of the minister, Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah.
Announcing the formation of the new committee, Deputy Health Minister, Yacoub Al Mazrou, secretary general of the Medical Services Council told Arab News that the new body would develop future plans, procedures, regulations and rules regarding the organ transplant program undertaken by the Saudi government. The organ transplantation services of the government are carried out through the Saudi Center For Organ Transplantation, (SCOT) which is headquartered in Riyadh.
Al Mazrou said that the members of the committee would include nephrologists and specialists in organ transplantation from the SCOT and from hospitals such as the National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital, Security Forces Hospital, King Saud University and the Ministry of Health.
The Kidney Transplant organization, which later became SCOT, was formed in Riyadh in 1985 on an initiative from Riyadh Gov.or Prince Salman to help people who were in need of organ transplantation. “It aims to serve humanity by ending the suffering of those with end-stage organ failure by providing viable organs in a manner that is not only beneficial to the patient, but also to donor families, the health care professional and the members of the public.”
The board of the Saudi Council Of Religious Scholars has unanimously agreed on the permissibility of removing an organ, or a part thereof from a living person and grafting it should there be no risk in the removal and should the transplantation seem likely to be successful.
From time to time, SCOT calls for organ donors to help patients who have reached the end stage of their disease due to organ failure. SCOT identifies two types of donors — cadaveric donors and living donors. Cadaveric donations are harvested from people immediately after their deaths. Organs such as corneas, heart, liver, lungs, intestines, pancreas, kidneys are cadaveric donations. A senior health official said that there were hundreds of patients suffering due to organ failure and SCOT has standard application forms for people who are willing to donate their organs after death. “Share your life and be an organ donor” is the motto of the center.
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