Dec. 2017: There is no dedicated ‘organ transplant facility in Bahrain, nor an official ‘organ donor register’, but there was an ‘organ donor seminar – Bahrain’. Well it is a start and for the members of the group who organised it, they were very happy with the awareness results. Whether it transpires into an official registry or indeed a unit has yet to be seen.
Over the years, there have been moves to get this register sorted, but for ‘some’ reason it has never materialized and the excuses are quite varied. Plus, the general population are rarely if ever approached to get a feel for the notion – and being a donor is not something the average Bahraini probably thinks about. A good few have sought operations abroad. However, the Gulf Cooperation Council states (GCC) are fairly well established as a single unit when the need arises.
One assumes the slow progress is a religious taboo, being anti Islamic or something, but apparently not, although it is hard to change some minds. If you listen to the these doctors (surgeons) and philanthropists, it is still not exactly clear why no such register or unit has been established. Even with over 3 million Dollars donated for a kidney transplant facility, the authorities have not acted. So for whatever reason it is still in so-called planning, has spurred these activist into action?
Initial awareness is the key thing, hence the seminar at the main hospital in Bahrain which was attended by medical professionals from within. This was followed by a press conference specifically asking the media to spread the word. The enthusiasm within the medical fraternity is obvious, but from the attendance at the press conference, it would seem that only Who Does What TV and about one other media platform bothered to show. This just means that there is a long way to go to lift that apathy, but by all accounts, this committee is not going to give up any time soon.
