Brain dead patients should be taken off artificial respiratory machines to free up beds for other patients, said Faisal Shaheen, director general of the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation.

He called for a “bold decision” by the committee at the Intensive Care Unit at the Ministry of Health with the coordination of the Board of Senior Ulama in the Kingdom.

“This will allow us to use their beds for other patients who are in dire need of admission,” said Shaheen.

He added that patient care costs for the brain dead exceed SR90 million a year.

There are about 1,200 brain dead patients the Kingdom, but only 700 cases are registered.

“About 12 to 14 percent of patients in intensive care units are brain dead,” said Shaheen, adding that the center intends to draft a "comprehensive system" for organ transplantation to be a reference for such operations in the country.

He explained that giving the center legal status by a recent Royal Decree “gives it more power to act and gain the approval of organ donors.”

“Nonetheless, the center still faces many obstacles,” he added.

He also said that organ trafficking will cease to exist in five years.

“The Kingdom must be self-sufficient in providing organs for its patients,” he said, referring to the many patients who travel abroad to conduct transplant operations.