Kuwait’s deadly alcohol tragedy turns grief into the gift of hope
A deadly wave of alcohol poisoning that killed 23 people in Kuwait has also given others a second chance at life, as doctors confirmed that several victims became organ donors in what specialists described as a rare act of hope in the midst of tragedy.
The poisoning, traced to tainted liquor sold illegally, struck more than 160 people — mostly Asian workers — leaving dozens in critical condition.
At least 51 required urgent kidney dialysis, while 31 were placed on mechanical ventilation, Kuwait’s Health Ministry said.
Police later arrested 67 suspects accused of producing and distributing the toxic alcohol, Gulf News reports.
Among the hospitalized, 12 patients were declared brain-dead, said Dr. Mustafa Al Mousawi, chairman of Kuwait’s Organ Transplant Centre. With the consent of grieving families, doctors recovered 20 kidneys, three hearts, four livers, and two lungs.
“Every organ was successfully transplanted, except the lungs, which were found unsuitable,” Al Mousawi said on state television.
Some organs remained in Kuwait, while livers were sent to Abu Dhabi, where Kuwait’s liver transplant program is on hold.
In just five days, Kuwaiti surgeons carried out three heart transplants, according to Dr. Badr Al Ayyad, a cardiac surgery specialist.
Yet the need remains dire — about 500 patients are still waiting for kidney transplants, with delays stretching up to three years.
Doctors called for stronger awareness around organ donation. “This is the last chance to do a good deed in this world, a form of ongoing charity,” Al Mousawi said, urging residents to register via the Health Ministry’s Sahel app.
Religious scholars have endorsed organ donation, with the late Sheikh Ajeel Alnashmi describing it as one of the highest forms of enduring charity.
“This tragedy has been devastating,” Al Mousawi reflected, “but it has also saved lives, turning loss into a source of hope.”
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