Over 19,000 donors register to donate organs to save the needed

The Vietnam National Coordinating Centre for Human Organ Transplantation (VNHOT) has received registration from over 19,300 people who are willing to donate their organs after death to save the needy.

The VNHOT staff were honoured with the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit for their contribution to organ transplants in Vietnam, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the VNHOT’s establishment, Hanoi, November 29. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)
The VNHOT staff were honoured with the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit for their contribution to organ transplants in Vietnam, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the VNHOT’s establishment, Hanoi, November 29. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)

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The figure was announced at a ceremony to mark the 5th anniversary of the VNHOT’s establishment, held in Hanoi on November 29. The programme also featured a special gala themed "Giving away to live forever", with touching stories of the donors and receivers, as well as the efforts by VNHOT and other concern parties to overcome difficulties and prejudice to promote the humane manner.

At the event, which was broadcast live on Vietnam Television Channel 2 (VTV2) this morning, VNHOT said that, since its inception in 2013, the centre which has only five staff members faces a range of difficulties.

The centre was established in the context of national medicine achieving significant results in organ transplants, but the perception on tissue and organ donation in Vietnam is still limited, as many are suspicious and are fearful when referring to the issue.

After one year of operation, the centre mobilised more than 200 donors to donate their organs after death, who were mostly the centre’s leaders and staff, as well as their friends, relatives and colleagues. However, the figure increased to over 12,000 by 2017, thanks to communication campaigns on organ donation and its significant medical and humane values.

In 2018, thousands of people went to the VNHOT to register to donate organs after death, as the spillover effect of a touching story of seven-year-old girl Hai An, who donated her corneas following her tragic death from cancer to help bring the light back to two patients suffering from corneal scarring and a congenital corneal cataract. Since then, a number of donations have been made from those suffering death to save many other from serious illness.

Touching stories of organ transplants were shared at the event, hounouring the humanitarian acts from donors who were willing to donate their organs after death to save other lives. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)

As of August 31, 2018, 3,378 organ transplants were performed, including 3,223 kidney, 125 liver and 26 cardiac transplants. From July 20, 2015 up to now, there have been six trans-nation organ transplants made from this collaborative programme, helping to bring the hapless back into life.

Also in 2018, the VNHOT has cooperated with national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines to offer free air delivery for organs, while providing the best support for medical staff on its flights to timely bring donated organs to patients waiting for transplants.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien praised the efforts and success of the centre in the past five years. The success of the domestic organ transplant sector requires effort and involvement of all the relevant authorities, political organisations and the community at large, the health official said, while expressing his hope that the public would understand donating tissues and organs is a highly humanitarian manner to save patients in need.

On the occasion, the efforts of medical staff and the humanitarian acts of donors and their families to bring a better life for many others were honoured. Touching meetings among receivers and donors’ families also featured at the event, marking a meaningful way to spread good actions among the community.

At the event, Tran Tuan from Thua Thien - Hue province (left), meets with Nguyen Thi Thu Hang (centre), the wife of donor Nguyen Ngoc Khiem (in Thai Binh province), who donated his heart after death to save Tuan from heart failure, in May 2018. (Photo: NDO/Trung Hung)