For 68-year-old Thangavelu Chandra Mohan, a liver transplant at Burjeel Medical City in Abu Dhabi represented both a daunting medical risk and a final hope for survival. Diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2011, he faced severe complications, including internal bleeding and blocked blood vessels, which made the four-hour procedure incredibly complex. However, the success of the surgery—managed by a skilled team that navigated his high-risk health profile—gave him a renewed lease on life. His story is just one of many highlighting how the UAE’s growing medical infrastructure is providing life-saving alternatives to patients who previously had few options.

The UAE’s National Program for Donation and Transplantation, known as Hayat, has been instrumental in this progress, overseeing more than 1,195 procedures to date. Through a combination of living donors, deceased donors, and international medical coordination, hospitals across the nation are tackling everything from end-stage organ failure to complex cancer cases. With over 39,000 registered donors and the adoption of cutting-edge techniques like robotic-assisted surgery, the country is rapidly becoming a regional leader in transplant medicine. As the nation marks World Organ Donation Day, authorities continue to encourage residents to register as donors, ensuring that more patients like Thangavelu can receive the gift of a second chance.