The Health Services Department Hospitals, which fall under the Ministry of Defense, are celebrating a significant achievement as they have now completed a total of 4,555 life-saving organ transplant surgeries.
These remarkable accomplishments are the result of 11 organ transplant programs expertly supervised by these hospitals, according to an official report.
Among the various transplant procedures performed, the hospitals have successfully conducted 3,664 kidney transplants, 118 heart transplants, 480 liver transplants, and 293 marrow and stem cell transplants. The kidney transplant program, initially launched at Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh in 1979, marked a groundbreaking milestone as the Kingdom’s very first kidney transplant program, setting the stage for future success.
The commitment to expanding access to life-saving transplants continued with the introduction of five kidney transplant programs in hospitals across the country. These include the Armed Forces Hospital in the South, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital in the North, and the Armed Forces Hospital in Al-Hada. Notably, these programs also encompass preemptive kidney transplants, which have benefited over 2,000 dialysis patients across 13 dialysis units within military hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Defense’s Health Services.
The Health Services Department’s dedication to enhancing healthcare options extended beyond kidney transplants. In 1981, they established the Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplant Center, specializing in marrow and stem cell transplants for blood diseases and lymphatic system tumors. Furthermore, they introduced the heart transplant program at the Prince Sultan Cardiac Center and the liver transplant program at Prince Sultan Military Medical City in 1990, further solidifying their commitment to advancing organ transplantation in the Kingdom.
These impressive achievements were made possible through the collaborative efforts of dedicated medical teams and the invaluable support of the air medical evacuation wing of the Health Services under the Ministry of Defense. Such success is a testament to the exceptional coordination between the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation and the Executive Committee for Organ Transplantation at the Health Services Department under the Ministry of Defense.
