JEDDAH, 15 October 2006 — Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Salman, supervisor of the Prince Fahd ibn Salman Charitable Society for the Care of Kidney Patients, said the recent Cabinet decision allowing nonrelatives to donate organs would serve more than 8,500 kidney patients in the Kingdom.

“The Cabinet decision will also support the Kingdom’s organ transplant program, encouraging more people to carry out such operations within the country instead of having them abroad,” he said.

Before the new law was approved by the Council of Ministers on Monday, organ donations were allowed only under two circumstances: Donations of the organs of the brain-dead and donations of the organs of immediate relatives. This situation forced many patients to go abroad for transplants.

Prince Abdul Aziz, who is also assistant minister of petroleum and minerals, said the Prince Fahd society would work for expanding the base of organ donations within the framework of the new law.

The new law allows nonrelative donors to receive SR50,000 ($13,333) for donating an organ or part of an organ. According to the latest survey, there are 8,551 kidney patients, he said, adding that their numbers were increasing nine percent annually.

Prince Abdul Aziz said his organization’s activities would cover all kidney patients in the Kingdom. “According to the changes we made in the bylaws, our society’s activities will not be limited to a particular region but will cover all parts of the Kingdom,” he explained. The society, in association with the Health Ministry, is working out a national code for all dialysis centers to follow.

Speaking about the proposed Prince Abdul Majeed Dialysis Center in Jeddah, he said it was the society’s first project. “We have so far received SR22 million to establish the center and we need SR13 million more,” he said, adding that he was expecting financial contributions from Jeddah businessmen and philanthropists to make the project a reality.

The new dialysis center, which will be established at King Fahd Hospital in Jeddah, will have 100 units. A fund-raising event was organized at the residence of Khaled Al-Juffali for the center.

Dr. Faisal Shaheen, director general of Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (SCOT), said there were 2,900 kidney patients waiting for transplants.

The new law on organ donation has 18 articles. “The law was drafted after studying aspects of preventing illicit trading in human organs,” he said. Shaheen said direct donation of organs is limited to individuals holding the same nationality. He said the SCOT would accept donation of organs from an individual only after making sure through medical tests that the donation would not affect his or her health. King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center in Riyadh, meanwhile, launched an awareness campaign to encourage organ donations.