A total of 4,360 organ donations were carried out in Spain in 2014, beating the Spanish record of 4,279 notched up in 2013, new figures released by the country's National Transplant Organization (ONT) on Tuesday show.
Of these transplants, 2,678 were kidneys, 1,068 were liver transplants and 265 were heart transplants.
Spain also saw 36 donors per million people in 2014 — equal to 1,682 donors — "far superior" to the European Union figure of 19, health authorities said of the 2014 results.
That also put Spain far ahead of other countries, with 26 donors per million people in the US, 25 in France and a tad under 15 in Germany, according to the transplant body's latest figures from 2011.
"We are at record highs, which means we can assert once again Spain is at the world leader in donations and transplants, thanks to the people's cooperation and the dedication of health professionals, (and thanks to) the National Health System," said health minister Alfonso Alonso on Tuesday.
The so-called Spanish Model for organ donation has achieved such good results that its measures have been adopted by the World Health Organization and many countries in Europe and Latin America.
"Spain's management model brings the best out in people," ONT told The Local. "Ninety percent of bereaved family members tell us that allowing their loved one's organs to be donated helped them to overcome their loss."
However, the ONT sounded a note of warning: 54 percent of current donors are older than 60, the organization said in a statement.
The ONT is targeting a 10 percent increase in donors and a 20 percent increase in transplanted organs in 2015. This would bring the total of such operations performed up beyond 5,000.
Spain's success in organ donations and transplants come despite the Spanish government's 2012 decision to slash annual health spending by €7 billion euros ($9.6 billion) a year to shore up public finances in the face of the country's economic crisis.
Management: administrative
Bereaved: affliction
Target: goal, objective
Iman Oufkir, Ana Laura Peralta, Luis Apolo
It's a great news to us. Donating organs when you die or giving permission to use the relatives organs could save many lives. It's hard to many people decide to give the relatives organs when your relative has just died but, to other people this means a superation. We should think that someone could live with this organs. Is amazing how someone who has just died can 'transmit' so much life.
ReplyDeleteI think it is really good for Spain's international status. Since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008, the nation has been considered one of the poorest and worst governed countries in the Western Hemisphere, which has contributed to create a bad image of the state amongst its own residents. But this piece of news can inspire us to keep working hard despite the poor economic decisions and become an example for the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteIn my view, becoming a donor is one of the best options to make your death "beneficial" to somebody. Personally, I don't care if my body is destroyed after my death: I'm not there anymore and that way I can at least help a person who needs it. Otherways, my organs would be wasted. What I don't really understand is why the other countries are so far away from Spain in this respect.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think it's awesome to have such high figures in relation to organ transplantation. It is something positive, not only for the country but also for those who have come benefited. In my opinion, I think that people should be more aware of the importance of organ donation because it makes no sense want to preserve healthy organs within an inert body.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that it’s a very important new, taking into account the spanish situation. I’m surprised, how many people can empathize with the health problems of the others and they are willing to donate their organs. Furthermore, it’s a great achievement the increase of the number of transplants despite the government’s economic decisions.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Pedro Antonio, I think it’s a good opportunity to improve the prestige of our country against the word.
Ana Losa Benítez22 April 2015 at 15:15
ReplyDeleteIt's great news for us. Donating organs when you die or giving permission to use your relatives organs could save many lives. It's hard for many people decide to give their relatives organs when they have just died but, to other people these means an improvement. We should think that someone could live with this organs. Is amazing how someone who has just died can 'transmit' so much life.