KUWAIT CITY, Aug 13 : Dr. Turki Al- Otaibi, head of Kuwait Center for Organ Diseases and Transplantation, has unveiled preparations for the first lung transplant in the country by the end of this year at the Chest Diseases Hospital. Al-Otaibi announced in a special interview on Kuwait TV on the occasion of World Organ Transplantation Day, which falls on Aug 13 of each year. He affirmed that Kuwait focuses on developing and updating organ transplant programs of various types -- kidney, heart, pancreas, liver and other existing and emerging programs. He said the problem of organ shortage is one of the most difficult global and local challenges. “Although around 158,000 organ transplants were performed worldwide in 2022; this does not exceed 10 percent of the number of patients on the waiting lists,” he added. He stated that 557 patients in Kuwait are on the organ transplant waiting list -- 500 kidney transplant patients, 30 liver transplant patients, 15 pancreas transplant patients, five combined pancreas-kidney transplant patients, and seven heart transplant patients.

He stressed that the State of Kuwait, represented by the Ministry of Health, is committed to developing and modernizing the infrastructure for organ transplant programs and raising awareness on the importance of posthumous organ donation. He revealed that the number of posthumous organ donation card holders in Kuwait is around 15,000; clarifying the card is like a will that requires two fully qualified witnesses. He stated that only one percent of these individuals are eligible to donate organs posthumously, as donation requires brain death, not cardiac death. He emphasized the need for concerted efforts to increase the availability of donation cards and raise awareness on the importance in saving patients’ lives.

He pointed out that there are several organ transplant programs in the country; some of which are fully operational, while others are suspended or under preparation. He added that the kidney transplant program, established in 1979, is one of the oldest programs in the Middle East. He stated that during the past year, 149 kidney transplants were performed, including 76 brain-dead organ donations, all of which were successful. He said that Kuwait also has heart and pancreas transplant programs. The first heart transplant in the country was performed in 2019, and since then, seven successful heart transplants have been performed.

“The first pancreas transplant was performed in 2007, after which the program was suspended and resumed in 2023 with a combined pancreas and kidney transplant,” he revealed. Regarding suspended programs, Al-Otaibi disclosed that the liver transplant program was launched in 2020; and the first liver transplant was performed during the COVID-19 crisis. “However, the program was halted for organizational and administrative reasons,” he explained.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff