Ministry of Health issues 400 permits for kidney transplants

CAIRO – 10 June 2017: A total of 400 kidney transplants were performed in the past two months for Egyptians and foreigners in 52 hospitals around Egypt, Ali Mahrous, an official for the Ministry of Health, said on Saturday.

Mahrous clarified that all permits and licenses are given accurately for patients and donors, after ensuring there are no suspicions. He added that there would be more checks on human organ transplants in the future to eliminate any trading attempts.

The Legislative and Constitutional Committee and the Health Affairs Committee in the Parliament will discuss a draft law on organ transplantation on June 19. The law was prepared by the government and aims to amend some provisions of law No. 5/2010.

Previously, in May, the Legislative and Constitutional Committee approved adding harsher penalties to the 2010 law regulating organ transplantation in Egypt.

The 2010 law prohibits the buying and selling of human organs and tissues. The punishment includes imprisonment and a fine between LE 20,000 and LE 100,000. If the act was committed on a living person, it would result in imprisonment of no more than seven years; if the donor dies then the punishment can include a fine of up to LE 200,000.

The approved amendments to the law included applying a punishment of strict imprisonment and a fine between LE 500,000 and LE 1 million on any person who removes an organ from a human body with the intention of illegally transplanting it.

If the illegal act is committed on a living person, the medical practitioner would be imprisoned for no more than 10 years. If the patient dies, the penalty rises to life imprisonment and a fine between LE 500,000 and LE 1 million.

The law stipulates that it is not allowed to transplant an organ or part of an organ or tissue to another human being, unless it is necessary to save the life of the patient, and so long as there are no alternatives to save the patient’s life and the transplant does not pose a danger to the donor.

The law prohibits transplanting organs from Egyptians to non-Egyptians, unless the donor and the recipient have been married for at least three years.