Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. January 3, 2023: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a Mubadala Health partner, is working with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) to promote the ‘Abu Dhabi Community Campaign’, supporting the National Programme for Organ Donation and Transplantation, ‘Hayat’. Launched by DoH, the campaign seeks to drive organ donation registration and raise awareness of the initiative. The multispecialty hospital has installed the first Hayat booth that will sit permanently at the hospital for patients and visitors to learn about the program and register as organ donors.  

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi CEO, Dr. Jorge Guzman, inaugurated the booth and was the first to sign up and register as an organ and tissue donor at the year-end townhall, encouraging caregivers to sign up as donors. 

 

In collaboration with its strategic partners, DoH launched the campaign during the International Conference for Initiatives on Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation that took place in Abu Dhabi earlier in November 2022. The Campaign seeks to encourage community members to register for organ and tissue donation as well as enhance the quality of life of patients with organ failure. 

 

Dr. Ali Al Obaidli, Chairman of UAE National Transplant Committee says, “The UAE National Programme of Organ Donation and Transplantation has seen growth in donations from post-mortem donors, which has led to impressive results in transplants of the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas and kidneys. It is through partnerships with leading healthcare institutions such as Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, that we are able to further drive this initiative and succeed in our endeavor of creating awareness around the importance of organ and tissue donations and the life-changing opportunities they afford to patients requiring transplants. We encourage anyone over 21 years of age to register and become part of this noble and humanitarian act as donors provide recipients another chance at life, when alive or even after death.” 

As a multi-organ transplant center, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has been an instrumental partner for the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, leading life-changing surgeries performed by experienced multidisciplinary specialists. With a focus on future-first surgical techniques, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi pairs cutting-edge technology with compassionate care throughout the patient’s journey; from the initial planning stages through post-transplant follow-up, while raising awareness on the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle for an enhanced quality of life. 

 

Dr. Jorge Guzman says, “The importance of organ donation cannot be emphasized enough and all of us have a role to play in this life-changing opportunity. We are proud to partner with the DoH and drive the larger UAE vision of promoting the initiative of organ donation. Only through collective partnerships between the healthcare entities are we able to achieve the aim of saving the life of every patient who needs a transplant and reaffirm the UAE’s position as a leading destination for healthcare.” 

Aligned with the Cleveland Clinic Transplant Center in the U.S., which is one of the most comprehensive transplant programs in the world, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has performed more than 330 life-changing organ transplant surgeries, since the deceased donor program became active in the UAE in 2017. The program has seen 124 deceased donors in the UAE, whose organs have saved the lives of more than 438 patients and has grown exponentially over the years. Through its transplant center, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, has conducted 166 kidney transplants, 136 liver, 12 lung, 12 heart, and 10 pancreas transplants. 

 

Dr. Bashir Sankari, Chair of the Surgical Subspecialties Institute and Head of the Transplant Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi says, “We have a multi-organ transplant program in the UAE undertaking heart, single and double lung, liver, and pancreatic transplants. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has achieved numerous milestones since the launch of its transplant program in 2017, including performing the UAE’s first successful heart, lung and liver transplant, the UAE’s first combined kidney-pancreas and combined kidney-liver transplants. Even after death, one person has the power to alter the course of eight different lives and we need to share this message with more people.”

 

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has a multidisciplinary team that includes transplant surgeons, transplant physicians, transplant nurse coordinators, intensive care unit nurses, operating room nurses, dietitians, and social workers. Visit the hospital to register as a donor at the booth, and to know more about the Transplant Center, visit https://www.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae/en/institutes-and-specialties/transplant-center/pages/default.aspx