Abu Dhabi hospital helps family of car accident victim donate his organs, saving 4 lives
Medical staff at Mafraq Hospital have enabled the family of a deceased man to donate four of his organs - including his heart - saving the lives of four people in need of an organ transplant.
The donation is the third heart donation in UAE, the 9th case of a donation coming from a deceased person in the UAE, and the first donation to take place in Mafraq Hospital, a facility affiliated to Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA).
Dr. Hussain Abdul Aziz Al Awadhi, ICU Consultant at Mafraq Hospital, a member of the National Committee for Organ Transplantation, said, "Our real achievement is to contribute in fulfilling the family’s wish by donating the organs and saving the lives of four people in need of organ transplantation."
The organ recipients were a 38-year-old Emirati who received the heart, a 58-year-old woman who was given the liver, a 31-year-old Yemeni man who received one of the kidneys, while the other went to a 9-year-old Sudanese girl.
The donor, a road traffic accident victim, was admitted to intensive care, but his condition deteriorated and suffered from brain death. His condition meant his internal organs were preserved and continued to function with the help of mechanical ventilators, resuscitation devices, prosthetic hormones, and pressure steroids.
When approached with information on organ donation as per UAE law, the patient's family welcomed the idea and willingly accepted without requesting a compensation.
Dr. Al Awadhi said that the UAE's Organ Transplant Programme is considered a philanthropic one that reflects the values of giving in the UAE. He stated that programme's success is owed to the diligent efforts of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), Cleveland Clinic, Al Jalila Hospital, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) and the members of the National Committee for Organ Transplantation.
Saeed Al Kuwaiti, CEO of Mafraq Hospital said families who request organ donation provide others with the gift of life, adding that the hospital is prepared to support those families across many hospitals in the UAE.
