Doctors urgently transported a liver by air from Kuwait to Abu Dhabi in a race against time, facilitated by a cross-border medical collaboration to save the life of a 43-year-old Indonesian expat, Nur, who has been living in the UAE for 14 years. Nur, who works for an Emirati family, suddenly developed acute liver injury that rapidly progressed to acute fulminant liver failure. With no local donors available, a GCC-wide alert was issued, leading to the identification of a compatible liver in Kuwait.
Within 48 hours, Burjeel Medical City, the National Centre for Organ Donation and Transplant at the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP), and other regional entities coordinated this life-saving operation. Nur’s family, informed of her critical condition, flew to Abu Dhabi to support her. “We were shocked to learn about her condition,” said Laelatul Fitri, Nur's sister. “All we could do was pray for her. When we heard about the donor, we were immensely grateful,” Fitri added.
Dr. Rehan Saif, director of Burjeel Abdominal Multi-Organ Transplant Program, detailed the emergency nature of Nur’s case and her deteriorating condition due to seronegative hepatitis, which led to acute fulminant liver failure. “Managing such a condition is extremely challenging due to the rapid progression and severe complications without a transplant. The patient met the criteria for a super-urgent liver transplant, requiring immediate intervention,” he explained.
As Nur’s condition worsened, Burjeel Medical City initiated an urgent search for a liver donor, with survival odds dropping below 20% without a transplant within 48 hours. A compatible liver was located in Kuwait from a brain-dead donor whose family chose to donate the organ. This led to a high-stakes operation involving medical teams from both countries.
The operation involved Dr. Gourab Sen flying to Kuwait to retrieve the liver, while a specialized team in Abu Dhabi prepared Nur for surgery. A private charter aircraft was used to transport the liver, with the surgical team at Burjeel Medical City ready to perform the transplant. The operation, from retrieval to transplantation, took approximately 14 hours.
Post-transplant, Nur has made a good recovery and has been discharged, continuing her follow-up consultations. “She had a successful outcome and can look forward to leading a completely normal and healthy life, thanks to the donor’s family and the support from MOHAP, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, and other entities,” said Dr. Saif. The Emirati family Nur works for also played a crucial role in her care, expressing gratitude for the exceptional medical response.
