Achievement reflects multidisciplinary clinical excellence and the hospital’s partnership with Dubai Health
Mediclinic City Hospital has reached a significant clinical milestone, completing 100 kidney transplants through its kidney transplant programme.
Central to this achievement is Mediclinic Middle East’s partnership with Dubai Health, which brings together clinical and academic expertise and a shared commitment to advancing highly specialised transplant care and improving outcomes for patients. This partnership was first established in 2016 with Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), the heart of Dubai Health, enabling learning and discovery to advance health for humanity.
The achievement reflects the strength of the UAE’s integrated national organ donation and transplantation ecosystem, coordinated through the National Programme for Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue “Hayat”, and supported by collaboration among federal and local health authorities and healthcare institutions.
This includes the Ministry of Health and Prevention’s National Center for Regulating Donation and Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues, which operates under MoHAP’s supervision to unify national efforts and regulate and coordinate organ transplantation across the UAE. The wider ecosystem also includes the Dubai Health Authority, Dubai Healthcare City Authority, Dubai Health’s Al Jalila Children’s Hospital and Al Jalila Foundation, which plays a vital role in enabling Dubai Health’s vision to advance health for humanity through the integration of care, learning, discovery and giving. This wider collaboration has played an important role in facilitating the delivery and continued development of transplant care.
This collaborative approach enables multidisciplinary teams to support patients throughout the transplant pathway, from assessment and preparation to transplantation and long-term follow-up. The programme brings together transplant surgeons, nephrologists, anaesthetists, critical care specialists, nurses, transplant coordinators, donor coordinators and other healthcare professionals to provide coordinated, patient-centred care.
The 100-transplant milestone is underpinned by strong clinical outcomes. As of Q2 2026, the programme reported a one-year patient survival rate of 97 per cent and a one-year kidney graft survival rate of 95 per cent, reflecting the quality and continuity of care delivered throughout the transplant journey.
Hein van Eck, CEO of Mediclinic Middle East, said: “Reaching 100 kidney transplants is an important milestone for Mediclinic City Hospital, but the story is much bigger than the number itself. Behind every transplant is an individual patient journey and a family whose lives can be transformed through transplantation. We also recognise the extraordinary generosity of organ donors and their families, whose gift has given others the opportunity for a new chapter in their lives. Our partnership with Dubai Health has been central to this achievement, combining expertise and a shared commitment to improving outcomes for patients. Together with the wider collaboration across the UAE’s organ donation and transplantation ecosystem, it has helped establish a strong foundation for the delivery of highly specialised transplant care. I am immensely proud of our multidisciplinary teams, whose expertise, dedication and close collaboration support patients at every stage of the transplant journey and have been instrumental in reaching this milestone.”
Dr. Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health and president of Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), said: “We congratulate Mediclinic City Hospital’s clinical teams on reaching this milestone of 100 kidney transplants. Above all, we honour the selfless generosity of donors and their families whose decision to give the gift of life has made each of these transplants possible. Since MBRU first partnered with Mediclinic Middle East in 2016, we have valued the opportunity to work alongside its clinicians, who also hold faculty appointments within our integrated academic health system. Guided by our Patient First promise, we remain committed to supporting the continued development of transplant care in Dubai.”
To commemorate the milestone, a tree featuring 100 golden leaves was unveiled at Mediclinic City Hospital, with each leaf representing one of the 100 patients who received a kidney transplant through the programme. The tree serves as a lasting symbol of the individual lives at the heart of this achievement. The occasion brought together patients whose journeys have shaped the programme, including the recipient of Mediclinic City Hospital’s first kidney transplant in 2016, adding a particularly meaningful dimension to the celebration of this milestone.
The event was attended by Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg, member of the board of directors of Dubai Health, chairperson of Al Jalila Foundation board of directors and chairperson of MBRU Council; Dr Amin Al Amiri, Assistant undersecretary for the Health Regulation Sector at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) and Supervisor of “Hayat” Programme; Dr Asma Al Sharif, representing Prof. Alawi Alsheikh-Ali, director general of Dubai Health Authority; Dr Amer Sharif, CEO of Dubai Health and president of MBRU; Dr Ali Al Obaidli, chairman of the UAE National Transplant Committee; Dr Amer Al Zarooni, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation; Dr Mohamed Al Awadhi, executive director of the Dubai Health Women and Children’s Campus; and Dr Maria Gomez, director of the National Center for Organ Donation and Transplant.
The milestone reinforces Mediclinic’s commitment to clinical excellence and to working in partnership to continue delivering highly specialised care and meaningful outcomes for patients.
Source: Khaleej Times
