Doctors call on public to join UAE register of organ donors

A workshop to encourage people to join the organ donor registry will be held in Abu Dhabi tomorrow.

Under the slogan Donate for Life, the event starting at 10.30am in Al Raha Beach Theatre will explain what is involved in making a commitment and demonstrate the benefits.

The lives of 22 people have been prolonged with organs from six deceased donors since the transplant law was introduced in 2016. The six gave 12 kidneys, three livers, four lungs, two hearts and a pancreas.

With 1,100 people on dialysis every year, doctors want more members of the public to take a donors’ pledge.

The deceased donor list is open to Emiratis and expatriates, but registration procedures are yet to be clarified.

In February, the Ministry of Health and Prevention announced plans to list donor status on Emirates IDs.

No details regarding when the option will be available were revealed, but the ministry said it wanted to “get the conversation started with Friday sermons on the importance of organ donations, and have it incorporated in school curriculums”.

“What we want first is to get the dialogue started between family and friends,” said Dr Ali Al Obaidly, transplant nephrologist and group chief academic affairs officer at Abu Dhabi Health Services.

An organ transplant registry will be based in Dubai under the ministry.