Azerbaijan has been urged to add heart and cornea transplant operations to its mandatory health insurance package, along with several services for patients awaiting kidney transplants.
The proposal was made by Yegana Abbasova, chair of the board of the Coordination Center for Organ Donation and Transplantation.
Abbasova presented the initiative at a conference marking the anniversary of the first donor heart transplant performed in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus.
Services Proposed for Coverage
Abbasova said heart transplants and corneal transplants should be included in the basic package of services covered by mandatory health insurance.
She also called for insurance coverage of hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and genetic testing for patients awaiting kidney transplants.
Another proposal would establish a national stem cell registry in Azerbaijan.
The recommendations were made by the specialized coordination center. No decision, timetable or funding conditions for a possible expansion of the insurance package have been announced.
Source: Vesti Baku. The proposal was also reported by APA.