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His Excellency Dr. Qasim Al-Qasabi, Chief Executive Officer of the General Organization of King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC), clarified that the main hospital in Riyadh and its branch in Jeddah acquire the majority of stem cell transplant operations performed in the Kingdom, representing 75% in 2015, and that the hospital performed more than five thousands of stem cell transplant operations since the establishment of stem cell transplant program in 1984.

He said, while inaugurating the Stem Cell Transplant awareness events which was launched on Tuesday November 8 2016 from King Salman Auditorium at KFSH&RC, that KFSH&RC provide all types of stem cell transplant, such as self-transplant, transplant from relative donor, transplant from non-relative donor and from umbilical cord blood as well. He added that stem cell transplant program is one of the greatest global programs according to bone marrow transplant from relative donor statistics, and approved by Joint Accreditation Committee-ISCT & EBMT (JACIE). KFSH is also considered as one of the pioneering centers in this field regionally and globally, and a member in several global organizations and centers, e.g. World Center of Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant, European Organization of Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant, and Eastern Mediterranean Organization of Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant.

He noted to the unlimited support from government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques – may Allah support him – and to the KFSH&RC qualified medical staff and advanced technical facilities.

From his side, Dr. Feras Al-Farih Consultant of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant at KFSH&RC in Riyadh and the head of organizing committee, said that the awareness day aimed at raising awareness level of the importance of stem cell transplant forming blood and its role in treating many diseases as leukemia, lymphocyte cancer, bone marrow failure, sickle cell anemia and thalassemia. The Events witnessed participation of stem cell donor from Germany, who had donated with it to a Saudi patient woman six years ago, in addition to personal experiences for a number of stem cell donors, and a number of patients, as well, who submitted to stem cell transplant in KFSHRC.

Dr. Al Farih pointed out that there are more than 28 million persons all over the world registered as stem cell donors in the Global Registry as stem cells donors, most of them are Europeans and Americans.

The Events witnessed many attendees joining the stem cells donor registry, through mouth swap for people 18-50 aged. It is considered as one of the latest technologies applied globally to know the type of tissues analysis and blood group, instead of taking a blood sample.