Inexpensive Surgery Can Turn Iran into Organ Transplant Hub

Dr Ali Jafarian, a faculty member at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, says from a scientific point of view, Iran’s transplanting sections are working very well.

“Last year, 800 liver transplants were carried out in Iran, which is close to the United Kingdom with approximately equal numbers, and such number of liver transplants was only conducted in three centres in Iran.”

“Of course, because of the sanctions, we are faced with challenges in this area. For example, for two weeks we did not have a dialysis device that would make life difficult for patients.”

He also noted that fortunately, currently there is no problem in providing these patients with medicines across the country because most of the needed drugs are produced domestically.

“With the launch of liver transplantation centres in Kerman, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Mashhad and Tehran, the country’s need for liver transplantation has also been met,” underlined Dr Jafari.

According to the Ministry of Health’s permission to the organ transplant centres in the country, foreign patients can do this transplant in Iran after Iranian embassies abroad approve their documents.

“We perform the least expensive organ transplant in the world, and therefore, foreign patients tend to undergo this transplant in Iran. Moreover, the foreign patients trust our medical services and doctors.”