CAIRO – The nation's medical experts have warmly welcomed the application of the new Organ Transplant Law, expressing hopes that it will treat an organ trade wound that has festered in Egypt for years. When it comes to the practical level, however, the same experts start to realise the enormity of the challenges facing the application of this law in the making. “One of the challenges concerns the hospitals and clinics where the operations will be carried out,” stresses Rifaat Kamel, a leading surgeon and a member of the Cabinet-affiliated Higher Organ Transplant Panel. “The law says hospitals and clinics must have enough space for transplants. The problem is that most of the centres here are not prepared for this.” Another requirement of the new law is for hospitals and clinics to contain at least 100 beds, 10 per cent of which must be set aside for intensive care. Hospitals must also contain a blood bank, life-support systems and X-ray machines. More than 80 per cent of Egypt 's transplant centres do not meet these criteria, according to experts, who say that only 10 or 15 centres will be able to perform organ transplants. So far, the Health Ministry has only licensed five centres, while others are still trying to meet the requirements. Some of them might make it to a licence soon. Implementing the new law, say experts, will also be a challenge, despite a newly established transplant fund designed to help the poorest. Mahmoud Al-Metiny, a leading liver specialist, and other specialists wonder how many transplants the fund can pay for. Another problem is that few people are ready to donate organs. According to Samia Sabri, a cornea specialist at Cairo University, a law which regulates cornea transplants has been in effect since 1963, but it is not easy to find donors, making blindness inevitable for many patients.” Currently, 5,000 patients are waiting to receive corneas. Part of the problem is that the culture of donating is not widespread and the sanctity of the human body is deeply rooted in Egypt 's culture. The Pharaohs, for example, used to mummify the dead and put them in golden sarcophagi. But the Mufti, who issues edicts to the predominantly Muslim population, recently announced plans to donate his own organs after his death to encourage others to do so. “We are dealing with the cultural heritage of millennia,” says Magda Mustafa, a psychology professor from Helwan University. “People need to understand that, by donating organs, they save the lives of others.” There are also structural issues, say experts, including transport and communications networks. According to Sabri, a cornea is good only for three hours after it is taken from a dead donor. Mohamed Fathi, a liver professor from Ain Shams, Egypt's second largest university, says the same applies to human livers. “The Government must improve the roads and buy helicopters to transport organs from dead persons �" particularly those who die in road accidents �" to hospital,” he says. Egypt also lacks transplant specialists. According to Dr Kamel, there are only 10 or 20 such experts in the country. “This is not enough given the huge demand,” he explains.
