Abu Dhabi health minister signs on as organ donor, encourages others to sign up

Abu Dhabi wants residents of the emirate to register as organ donors.

A new initiative hopes to increase the number of people registered as donors to the National Organ Donation and Transplant Program – or Hayat, which means life.

UAE residents can register as a donor by Ministry of Health website.

Last year, 39 donors in the UAE helped save 147 lives. So far this year, 47 donors have saved 167 lives.

Abdulla Al Hamed, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Health, launched the initiative by being the first to register.

“I invite everyone to breathe hope into the lives of many around us by enrolling in the Hayat program,” he said.

The initiative was launched during the two-day International Conference on Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplant Initiatives in Abu Dhabi.

The conference featured more than 20 inspiring stories from organ recipients, donors and donor families in recognition of their contributions to saving lives and maintaining community health and safety.

When Nathalie Grall-Sorensen’s son, Viggo, 17, died suddenly nine months ago, she didn’t need much persuasion to agree to donate her son’s organs.

Her son called her after a golf game in January to say his fingers were numb. Soon after, he fell and died.

His kidneys, heart and liver were donated to save five lives.

“I grew up in a loving family, and for me that’s love,” Ms Graal-Sorensen told National.

“He’s never coming back, so if you can save five lives and make them happy, why not.”

Vivaan, the son of Shiba Gayathri and Vijith Kupleri, died last year just days before his second birthday after accidentally inhaling peanuts stuck in his lungs.

“As a parent, the first thing you hear about your child is their heartbeat, just as we hear his heartbeat [in his final hours]we knew we wanted to keep it beating,” Ms Gayathri said.

“Having experienced the kind of pain that only those who have experienced it can understand, and we don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

Her son’s organs saved three lives.

When Cindy Cruz’s sister, 50-year-old Jennifer Flores, died last June, she knew her siblings would want to donate her organs.

“So when they asked me, I called my parents and we said yes without hesitation,” she said.

The capacity of the UAE’s organ donation programme, as well as the number of donors, has increased in recent years.

The UAE has surpassed the global average of organs donated after death per donor. The country’s ratio was 3.9 compared to 3.5.

Dr Ali Al Obaidli, Chairman of the UAE National Transplant Council, said that raising awareness about organ donation programmes is important because “the shortage of organs around the world is one of the prominent challenges currently facing”.

“The success of donation and transplant programs is largely dependent on social contributions, which give individuals the opportunity to save many lives and bring new hope to life,” said Dr. Al Obaidli.

“The donation culture is very strong because the UAE is international and a lot of people have been exposed to the idea.”

Updated: 11/8/2022 4:14am