Having approved a new law regularising organ transplants, Egypt seems to be intensely meditating the post-legislation period. The law, which was approved by the lower house of the Egyptian Parliament weeks ago, is expected to curb this country's booming illicit trade in human organs, experts say. The question now, however, is: how can the new law be applied and efficiently at that? “In order to make successful the application of this law, Egypt is in bad need for infrastructure, which is nowhere to be found,” said Amr Helmy, a leading liver specialist. “This infrastructure should've been prepared even before the law was made,” he said in a gathering in Cairo on Friday. Hundreds and possibly thousands of poor Egyptians used to sell their kidneys and livers every year to pay off debts and buy food, making the country a regional “hub” for organ trafficking, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The new law, which has caused controversy among medics, clerics and rights activists, says organs donated from live donors will be restricted to “family members of the fourth degree”, and that the removal of organs without official authorisation would be considered first-degree murder punishable by death. Official authorisation for organ removal will come from a three-person panel to be established by the Higher Committee for Organ Transplants, a Ministry of Health-affiliated body. For dead patients, the law stipulates that the panel reach consensus on whether or not the potential donor is dead - an issue on which there is much contention. But leaving this contention apart, specialists are now locked in this debate over whether Egypt will be able to put the legislation to effect in an appropriate manner. One hindrance on the way is that this populous country is not ready enough to have a successful organ transplant environment, experts say. WHO says there are more than 42,000 Egyptians who need organ transplants at present. But Hemly and like-minded specialists say these people can never have their transplants done unless this country's hospitals, roads, labs are equipped enough to be successful. “Organs removed from dead donors need to be taken to equipped hospitals in a matter of a few hours,” Helmy said. “But this doesn't seem to be possible due to the bad condition of our roads and our transport,” he added during a discussion of Egypt's new organ transplant law at al-Sawy Cultural Centre on Friday. Experts suggest that the scope of organ removal, transplant, and donation be local. Lack of sufficient transport makes it difficult for human organs to be carried over long distances. That is why they say each hospital should have a transplant centre where operations are done in case the organs are available. This, however, is faced with a dearth of willingly donated organs in a country where donating body organs does not seem to be a cherished practice by many. While the nation's clerics continue to preach the public of the importance of donating their organs after death, all these calls seem to fall into deaf ears. “Without donation the law can become mere ink on paper,” said Alaa Ghanim, a human rights specialist from NGO the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. “Society leaders must be role models who encourage people to donate their organs after death,” he added. The late Grand Imam of al-Azhar Mohamed Sayed Tantawi wanted to donate his organs after death.
