Purport of the Senior Ulama Commission

Decision No. 99 Dated 06-11-1402 H

The board unanimously resolved the permissibility to remove an organ, or a part thereof from a Moslem or Thimmi living person and graft it onto him, should the need arise, should there be no risk in the removal and should the transplantation seem likely successful.

The board also resolved, by majority the following:

• The permissibility to remove an organ or part thereof from a dead person for the benefit of a Moslem, should the need arise, should the removal cause and should the transplantation seem likely successful.
  
  

• The permissibility for the living person to donate one of his organs or part thereof for the benefit of a Moslem in need thereof.

Resolution of the Council of Islamic Jurisprudence on Resuscitation Apparatus

Decision No. (5) D 3/07/86

The council of Islamic Jurisprudence in its third meeting held in Amman, capital of Jordan from 8 to 13 Safar 1407 H corresponding to 11 to 16 October 1986 and after discussing all relevant aspects of resuscitation apparatus and after hearing the detailed explanation from specialist doctors, decide the following:

A person is pronounced legally dead and consequently, all dispositions of the Islamic law in case of death apply if one of the two following conditions has been established:

• There is total cessation of cardiac and respiratory functions, and doctors have ruled that such cessation is irreversible.
  
  

• There is total cessation of all cerebral functions and experienced specialized doctors have ruled that such cessation is irreversible and that brain has started to undergo autolysins.

In this case, it is permissible to take the person off resuscitation apparatus, even if the function of some organs e.g., heart are still artificially maintained.

Approval of establishment of National Kidney Foundation

Your Excellency, The Minister of Health

Greetings.

We have studied your two letters No. 740/11, dated 10-02-1404 H, and No. 1442/11, dated 07-03-1404 H concerning the idea of establishment of a National Kidney Foundation as well as the details about what you have done with high ranking officials from your Ministry with the participation of representatives from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and the resultant proposal for establishment of this center which will be supervised by a committee composed of the Minister of Health as President and representatives from the Presidency of the National Guard, Ministries of Aviation and Defense, High Education and Health and King Faisal Specialist Hospital. This committee will put forward the objectives and responsibilities of this center and define a budget of 5 million Saudi Riyals as the budget of the center under the supervision of the above-mentioned committee.

We inform you about our full agreement. Do what is necessary to achieve the goal.

President of the Council of Ministers.


Decision No. 80 dated 20/06/1413 H

The Council of Ministers has studied the letter of His Excellency, The Ministers has studied the letter of His Excellency, The Minister of Health No. 1058/K/23, dated 09/10/1412 H which came through the Secretary of Presidency of Council of Ministers No. 7/635/R, dated 19/1/1413 H informing that a Royal Decree was issued on 19/05/1404 H for the establishment of the National Kidney Foundation to develop cadaveric transplantation program in the Kingdom and to co-ordinate the care of renal failure patients. Since then, the responsibilities of this center have increased as also the organ transplantation programs in the Kingdom. This center is supervising 93 dialysis centers of which 73 are centers are distributed all over the Kingdom. His Excellency has told that this center has coordinated performance of 313 renal transplantations, 10 cardiac transplantations and 2 liver transplantations in addition to many corneal transplantations. He has also pointed out to the huge development in health services especially organ transplantation and the importance of co-ordination between organ transplants centers.

His Excellency is aspiring for the agreement of renaming National Kidney Foundation as Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation and after seeing the letter of the Councilor decision No. 35, dated 09/05/1413 H and after seeing the recommendation of the General Committee of Council of Ministers No. 120 dated 20/05/1413 H, we decide to rename National Kidney Foundation as Saudi Center for Organ Transplantation.

President of the Council of Ministers.