NOVANEWS
National Transplant Center says that 392 organ transplants were performed in Israel last year, and that 90,224 people signed organ donor cards in 2013 • Currently, 1,075 people are on Israel’s organ transplant waiting list.
Israel Hayom
Some 392 organ transplants were performed in Israel in 2013, setting a new record for the national healthcare system, ADI — The National Transplant Center said Sunday.
According to ADI, 144 of the operations were live-donor transplants and 114 cases involved family members — a 24 percent rise compared to 2012.
The report noted that the past year has seen an increase in the number of families willing to donate the organs of loved ones pronounced brain-dead, saying that out of 143 families approached, 80 (56%) had agreed. This is the highest consent rate in recent years.
Overall, 248 transplants were performed using organs harvested from deceased donors, compared to 163 in 2013.
The center noted that 109 transplant patients were ADI organ donor card holders themselves, and were therefore considered priority transplant patients.
According to the report, 90,224 people signed an organ donor card during 2013. Overall, 787,000 Israelis have so far signed up for organ donor cards.
According to the center, despite the encouraging figures, 89 Israelis who were on the organ transplant waiting list died in 2013; but the number is still the lowest of the past four years.
As of January 2014, there are 1,075 people on Israel’s organ transplant waiting list. Some 762 people are waiting for a kidney transplant, 124 are in need of a liver transplant, 89 are waiting for a heart transplant and 89 are in need of a lung transplant.
National Transplant Center Chairman Professor Rafael Beyar said that the rise in donor card signatories was “the result of considerable, round-the-clock efforts that involve numerous people. First and foremost, of course, we owe thanks to the families of the donors and donors themselves.”
ADI Director Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi added that the rise in the number of donor card holders was the result of the awareness campaign led by the center.
