SKMC completes dual kidney transplants in 24 hours to expand UAE Hayat programme

Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) completed two life-saving kidney transplants within 24 hours on Wednesday, 22 July, marking a new efficiency record for the UAE’s National Programme for Organ Donation and Transplantation (Hayat). The surgeries involved a living donor and a deceased donor, benefiting two Emirati patients suffering from end-stage renal failure. Surgical execution and donor details The medical team at SKMC, a flagship facility of the PureHealth subsidiary SEHA, coordinated the back-to-back procedures involving more than 20 healthcare professionals. The first transplant utilized a kidney from a living relative, while the second procedure was made possible through the Hayat platform following a donation from a deceased individual. Both recipients are currently in stable condition and undergoing post-operative monitoring at the Abu Dhabi facility. Healthcare authorities confirmed that the rapid succession of these surgeries was facilitated by the integrated digital registry of the Hayat programme, which matches donors with compatible recipients across the country in real-time. This efficiency is critical for organ viability, which decreases every hour an organ remains outside the body. Implications for UAE healthcare The successful execution of dual transplants within a 24-hour window is a direct response to the rising demand for renal replacement therapies in the UAE. This development matters because it reduces wait times for the 2,000-plus patients currently…