Bahraini patients are putting their lives at risk buying organs on the black market for transplants abroad because of a shortage of donors at home, senior health officials have revealed.
More than 220 Bahrainis are currently waiting for “lifesaving surgeries” like kidney transplants, the Gulf Daily News reported on Tuesday.
Some patients are reported to pay between BD30,000 ($79,500) and BD40,000 ($106,000) for organ transplants in countries like China, Dr Sadiq Abdulla, consultant at the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), told the paper. He said often patients fall critically ill following surgery once they returned to Bahrain.
“Many patients return to Bahrain within a week of surgery and fall critically ill. This results in an unnecessary burden on Bahrain's healthcare system, which is already overloaded," he said.
"Many of these patients suffer from complicated conditions and fall victim to severe infections and have to have prolonged care at the SMC, while only a few recover," he added.
A recent clampdown on the illegal sale of organs by the authorities in Iran, Pakistan, India and the Philippines, has lead to a slight decrease in the number of Bahrainis travelling abroad for treatment, the doctor said...
However, this is not helping to solve the kingdom’s severe shortage of organ donors, Abdulla said.
"We had less than 200 people a year ago and now have 220 or more and the list is growing," he told the paper.
Some patients are reported to pay between BD30,000 ($79,500) and BD40,000 ($106,000) for organ transplants in countries like China, Dr Sadiq Abdulla, consultant at the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC), told the paper. He said often patients fall critically ill following surgery once they returned to Bahrain.
“Many patients return to Bahrain within a week of surgery and fall critically ill. This results in an unnecessary burden on Bahrain's healthcare system, which is already overloaded," he said.
"Many of these patients suffer from complicated conditions and fall victim to severe infections and have to have prolonged care at the SMC, while only a few recover," he added.
A recent clampdown on the illegal sale of organs by the authorities in Iran, Pakistan, India and the Philippines, has lead to a slight decrease in the number of Bahrainis travelling abroad for treatment, the doctor said...
However, this is not helping to solve the kingdom’s severe shortage of organ donors, Abdulla said.
"We had less than 200 people a year ago and now have 220 or more and the list is growing," he told the paper.
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