Abu Dhabi: Senior Abu Dhabi health officials have registered as organ donors in the UAE national organ donation and transplantation programme, Hayat, on the sidelines of the International Conference for Initiatives on Organ An Tissue Donation and Transplantation.
Their registration is part of the Abu Dhabi Community Campaign to encourage organ donations, which was kicked off by Abdulla Al Hamed, chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi on Monday (November 7). Al Hamed also became the first person to register on the Hayat donor registry at the launch of the campaign.
DoH officials who pledged their organs for donation include Dr Jamal Al Kaabi, undersecretary, Dr Rashed Al Suwaidi, executive director of healthcare workforce planning, Dr Saleh Al-Ali, executive director of emergency preparedness and response center, Ali Al Khoori, executive director of finance, Dr Mariam Al Mazrouei, executive director of healthcare payers sector, Dr Huda Almuaini, executive director of strategic affairs sector and Hind Al Zaabi, executive director of healthcare facilities sector.
The officials came forward to register for the ‘Hayat’ programme in order to encourage community members to follow suit, thus potentially helping to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from organ failure.
The Abu Dhabi Community Campaign focuses on encouraging all society members to register their consent to donate organs and tissues post-mortem, hilghlight the emirate’s success in the field, and showcase its capabilities in the areas of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.
The programme also aims to continue raising awareness among the community on the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, thus reducingthe chance of developing lifestyle-related diseases and organ failure, and reducing the need for transplantation. This awareness includes information on the need for regular physical activity and a healthy diet to avoid chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and other health problems.
‘Hayat’ is a national system to enhance efforts for the donation and transplantation of human organs and tissues in accordance with the highest international standards and practices in the UAE and the region. Working in coordination with various strategic partners locally and globally to save lives, it continues to improve the health and safety of the community and improve the quality of life.
The programme is a synergy of collaborative efforts of many federal and local authorities, including the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, the DoH., the Dubai Health Authority, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, and several other governmental and private health facilities across the country.
