A record for annual organ transplants was set in Greece on Tuesday (26/11), as a man donated his organs after death, becoming the 100th donor of the year, according to the Hellenic Transplant Organization (EOM). The donation saved 6 patients.
On Monday (25/11), the 99th donation was completed by a brain-dead donor at the “Evangelismos” hospital, also saving 6 patients.
2024 marks the fourth consecutive year of increased organ donations, with 100 posthumous organ donors saving 225 patients through transplants. Additionally, 106 living donors have provided organs to their family or friends this year.
The process of registering in the National Organ and Tissue Donation Registry to become an organ donor is done through gov.gr.
The president of the Hellenic Transplant Organization (EOM), Professor Georgios Papatheodoridis, states, “Today marks a ‘milestone’ for our country’s transplant system. One hundred remarkable families have said YES to donating the organs of their loved ones, allowing them, through their passing, to generously give the gift of life, surpassing all previous records in Greece.”
He adds, “These 100 organ donors came from 32 Intensive Care Units across the country, and without the tireless support of their staff, these donations would not have been possible. We are deeply grateful to them. In any case, this positive development requires the continuous, 24-hour, intensive, and uninterrupted operation of the entire Transplantation System (EOM, Transplant Units, supporting departments, and laboratories) in our country, significantly increasing the demand for infrastructure and human resources.”
Posthumous organ donation concerns patients who have expressed their wish while alive, or whose families consent to donate their organs after brain death is confirmed.
