CAIRO: As part of its crackdown on illegal organ trading, the Ministry of Health is paying surprise visits to hospitals around Egypt, inspecting and reporting violations. According to a press statement issued by Dr Mamdouh Hady, a ministry official, several violations were discovered in Al-Marwa hospital in Dokki, which can lead to the revocation of its license. The surprise visit was paid to Al-Marwa hospital on Saturday, the statement said. Illegal organ trading has recently garnered media attention, especially with a new organ transplant law underway. The People s Assembly is expected to finalize a new law that would regulate organ donation, imposing harsher punishments on doctors and hospitals that violate it. Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper reported an organ trafficking incident at Al-Marwa hospital. According to the newspaper, 21-year-old Ahmed Abdel Ghany, who is psychiatric patient, was talked into selling his kidney for LE 13,000. Dr Nasser Loza, secretary general of the Mental Health organization in Egypt, told Daily News Egypt that Abdel Ghany s case illustrates the severe problems mental patients are subjected to in Egypt. In the wake of this case, Loza urged the PA to put the new mental health law on the top of its agenda. He also encourages the media to bring more attention to the issue.
