DAMMAM — The head of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (SCOT) said that 220 Saudis had organ transplants abroad during 2013 at their own expense. Dr. Faisal Shaheen added that 190 Saudis had organ transplants abroad in 2012. He said 20 of them purchased the organs through illegal channels in Egypt, China and Pakistan. He pointed out that about 40 percent of these patients had complications and visited hospitals in the Kingdom, where doctors discovered that they had organ transplants through illegal channels. He explained that doctors in such situations notify SCOT, which in turn notifies the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate and combat the illegal trade in organs. He added that many Saudis have died abroad during such operations, but their numbers are not known because they travel without notifying concerned bodies.
