Nearly 4,555 organ transplant operations were performed at Saudi Arabia’s MODHS hospitals

SAUDI ARABIA – A total of 4,555 organ transplant operations have been conducted at hospital departments under Saudi Arabia’s Health Services Department under the Ministry of Defense.

The General Directorate for Health Services (MODHS) operates up to 143 clinics and dispensaries, as well as approximately 24 hospitals with a total bed capacity of over 8179.

The group of hospitals within the Ministry of Defense Health Services are equipped with highly sophisticated medical equipment and provide specialized medical services.

According to the Department’s press statement, the MODHS hospitals have conducted 3,664 kidney transplants, 118 heart transplants, 480 liver transplants, as well as 293 marrow and stem cell transplants.

It is the outcome of the remarkable 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.

So far, 4,555 complex surgical operations have been performed through 11 organ transplant programs, which are supervised by hospitals under the Health Services Department at the Ministry of Defense.

Established in 1979, the kidney transplant program was first launched in Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh.

The Health Services Department at the Ministry of Defense was responsible for the establishment of the first-of-its-kind kidney program in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi government entity has expanded the kidney transplantation program over the years since its inception in 1979.

A significant feature of these kidney transplant programs is pre-emptive kidney transplant, a transplant that takes place for a kidney patient, before starting dialysis.

Notably, over 2,000 dialysis patients have undergone pre-emptive kidney transplants in over 13 dialysis units of military hospitals affiliated with the Health Services Department at the Ministry of Defense.

The MODHS hospitals include the Armed Forces Hospital in the Southern region, King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah, King Salman Armed Forces Hospital in the northern region, and the Armed Forces Hospital in Al-Hada.

In addition to the kidney transplant program, the Health Services Department at the Ministry of Defense has developed various organ transplant programs at its hospitals.

The Saudi government entity has increased the number of pre-emptive transplants to include bone marrow and stem cell transplants, heart transplants, and liver transplants

The launch of the pre-emptive transplants comes as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is experiencing a growing and aging population and increasing life expectancy that seems to expand healthcare needs and increase healthcare costs.

This remarkable progress is the culmination of years of combined efforts of all participating medical teams and the air medical evacuation wing of the Health Services Department under the Ministry of Defense.

In harmony with Vision 2030’s strategy, the Saudi body is making additional investments to ensure the availability and accessibility of various transplant operations to beneficiaries all over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook.