Muscat – A conservationist, who has distributed tens of thousands of seedlings and saplings of wild plants to make Oman green, has announced that he will donate his body after death to the Ministry of Health to support organ donation efforts in the sultanate.

Struggling with cancer hasn’t shaken the indomitable spirit of Said Hamoud al Habsi, a farmer from the wilayat of Mudhaibi, North Sharqiyah. He has earned a nickname for always smiling.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Habsi said, “I decided to donate my body after death to the Anatomy Department of the Ministry of Health. This will help students and doctors in the field of anatomy. My donation is also aimed to inform people of the importance of organ donation and support the organ donation project of the sultanate.”

He claimed to be the first Omani to donate a kidney in the sultanate in 1991. “I donated a kidney to my brother. Now that I have cancer, I can’t donate organs,” Habsi clarified.

“Unfortunately, many people do not know the importance of organ donation. We need a lot of awareness to spread the culture of organ donation among community members.”

Habsi has made it his life’s mission to contribute tirelessly to making Oman green by providing seedlings and saplings of wild plants, which he grows in his own nursery.

“I started distributing wild plant saplings a few years ago. I have created a small nursery and till now have given away more than 750,000 seedlings of wild species to government and private institutions.”

Recognising Habsi’s efforts, the Environment Authority honoured him recently.
“Last year, I gave the authority over 45,000 wild tree saplings. I will try to distribute around 47,000 saplings in 2022.”

Addressing Omanis who travel abroad for organ transplantation, he said, “The Ministry of Health has qualified Omani specialists working in organ transplantation for free.”

He is also spreading awareness on organ donation by giving lectures to school students across the sultanate.

“I hope the local media supports this project to save lives.”