Egyptian Health Minister Hatem al-Gabaly on Thursday announced new rules and regulations governing human organ transplants for the country's hospitals.
At a press conference, the minister explained that for the time being only organs from internal hospital morgues would be used for transplant procedures conducted in the same hospital. “Organs can be brought in by ambulance or air rescue services at a later stage, once these initial services have been established," he said.
He also said that the ministry was only allowing organ transplants among Egyptian nationals at the current juncture. “Organs cannot be donated to foreigners, or even to Egyptians undergoing the operation abroad,” he said.
He added that the ministry had already begun issuing licenses for organ transplant operations to certain qualified hospitals in November of last year, pointing out that it also planned to launch an awareness campaign aimed at would-be transplant patients this summer.
“The Italian government, meanwhile, has also agreed to train Egyptian doctors for transplant procedures,” al-Gabali noted.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
