'Organ donors can save eight lives': Donor shortage leading to lengthy waiting lists
Around 500 Are Photography People Mccabe File Currently Waiting Picture: Lists On Conor
A shortage of organ donors has resulted in high numbers of patients left on lengthy waiting lists.
A renewed call to consider organ donation has been made by Dr Catherine Motherway, a former head of the Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Limerick, as around 500 people are currently on waiting lists. Only 282 transplants were completed last year.
Dr Motherway said donation and transplantation is “one of the greatest medical advances of the 20th century”.
However, despite much progress, more support is needed from the public.
“Demand for organ transplantation is increasing given advances in transplant medicine. However, a shortage of donors has resulted in high numbers of patients on waiting lists,” she said on Friday.
“At any one time, around 500 people in Ireland are waiting for a transplant. In 2023, there were 282 transplants carried out and in 2022 the number of transplants was 250 as a result of our organ donors both living and deceased.’’
She was speaking ahead of European Donation Day which takes place on Saturday, October 5. “On this day we think of donors and their gift of life to others,” Dr Motherway, HSE Clinical Lead for Organ Donation, said.
“We thank our colleagues across the country who have supported organ donation and transplantation over the last 60 plus years here in Ireland."
She added: "Our transplant recipients and we who care for them acknowledge that without donors, our transplant programs would not be able to offer them hope and the chance of a better life.”
The HSE has called on anyone considering donating their organs to have this conversation with friends and family so everyone knows their plans. People who choose to donate their organs can save eight lives and improve over 100 more lives through tissue and cell donation.
New legislation, the Human Tissue Act 2024, will soon mean that it is assumed anyone who does not register their name on an ‘opt-out register’ supports donating their organs.
“If you are on the opt-out register, your next of kin will not be asked about organ donation,” the HSE said.
“Even if you are not on the opt-out register, your family will be asked to give their consent for any organ donation and so it is important that everyone speaks to their loved ones about organ donation and make your intentions known to them.”
The HSE have shared videos and interviews with donors on their website at hse.ie/organdonation