Approximately 12,000 patients are currently suffering from chronic renal failure in the Kingdom, disclosed Dr. Sulaiman Al-Karsou, chief consultant at the King Abdul Aziz Medical City in Jeddah, during a medical conference titled “Infections in Renal Transplantation” held at the Intercontinental hotel at the end of last month. A range of local and international consultants and experts in the field had attended the conference aiming to discuss the post-surgery complications that occur in renal transplants, namely inflammations, and to raise awareness in the Kingdom about the importance of kidney donations. “This conference is considered the first medical program for patients (suffering from renal failure) and their families that is raising awareness about organ donation,” remarked Dr. Karsou, adding that the rising incidence of diabetes and hypertension are the main cause for chronic renal failure. “Many Saudi patients have gotten treatment from outside the Kingdom, but after their return, they have experienced post-surgery inflammations, which may lead to complications, resulting in fatality,” he explained. Organ donation, he added, is regarded as a sensitive issue in the Kingdom with many families finding the concept unacceptable due to religious reasons. Saudi Arabia therefore, has a very large percentage of ‘brain death', due to many families' unwillingness to donate their kidney to a loved one. According to Dr. Karsou, only two scholars - Sheikh Bin Baz and Sheikh Al-Othaymeen - have rejected the idea of organ donation, but all other scholars are of the opinion that an organ can be donated by a relative of the patient in order to save a life. “Patients traditionally travel to India, the Philippines and Japan to get transplant operations done there, but these surgeries should meet accurate medical conditions, such as using an organ taken from a person whose tissue matches that of the patient,” he explained. He highlights the need for all patients suffering from chronic renal failure to exercise caution and undergo such surgeries after much thought. The Infections and Renal disease department at King Abdul Aziz Medical city has established a new transplantation program including equipment that will assist in the actual transplant procedure, that will be made available to patients after two months.
