Saudi Arabia is expanding its program to reduce the wait for patients in desperate need of organ transplants.

According to the Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation (SCOT), 1,200 patients are in need of kidneys, 500 are waiting for heart transplants, 700 for liver transplants, 500 for pancreas replacements and 500 for lung transplants.

Haifa Qasami, head of the awareness campaign for organ donation, said: “It is very important to spread awareness among the community about the donation of organs as sometimes families refuse to sign organ donation cards of their loved ones because they cannot accept the fact that their relative, who is brain dead, will not come back to life.”

The awareness campaign was launched Friday at Makkah Mall by SCOT in cooperation with Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz University and Makkah’s Umm Al-Qura University.

Qasami said the aim of the campaign is to raise awareness among all segments of society on the importance of organ donation. The organs of people who have been declared clinically dead can save the lives of patients with organ failure, relieving their suffering and turning them from being helpless into active members of the community.

Qasami said this year’s awareness campaign is a continuation of last year’s and will expand to Taif, Asir, Madinah and other regions of the Kingdom to spread awareness on this life-saving issue.

“The campaign aims to illustrate the idea of organ donation from religious, social, health and economic aspects,” she said.

She explained that many people do not understand that donating organ can save the life of not only one person but a whole family. “Donating an organ is a great service toward mankind and is permitted in Islam. Islam encourages organ donation for the sake of saving lives,” she said.