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| Members of the interinstitutional branch for the promotion of organ and tissue donation in the South. |
Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, former Minister of Health and President of the Vietnam Association for Promoting Organ and Tissue Donation, said that organ and tissue transplantation is a great medical achievement, saving many lives of patients with serious illnesses. Currently, Vietnam has successfully carried out most types of organ transplants, with more than 1,000 cases, the highest in Southeast Asia. However, the current source of tissue and organ donations is still very limited, mainly from living donors, while in other countries most come from brain dead people. In particular, in the Southern region, the number of organ donations after brain death is lower than in other regions.
This is why the Vietnamese Association for the Promotion of Human Tissue and Organ Donation, in collaboration with the University of Medicine and the Pharmaceutical Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City, established this branch with the aim of contributing to increase the source of human tissue and organ donations. “This will help hospitals in the Southern region come together to mobilize and coordinate organ transplants. From there, it will help increase the source of organ donations and make organ transplants more convenient, thereby saving more lives.”explained Mme Kim Tien.
| Launch of the “Register for organ and tissue donation – giving is forever” program. |
According to Associate Professor Nguyên Hòang Bac, director of Ho Chi Minh City University Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy and head of this new branch, over the past 20 years, with many achievements, organ transplantation in Vietnam has made great strides to keep pace with the advancements of the world's developed countries. However, data shows that the rate of organ transplants from brain dead people in Vietnam is only 0.15 cases per 1 million population, much lower than that of Spain (49 cases ) and Thailand (6.12 cases).
Of the total number of organ transplants in Vietnam, only 6% come from brain dead people, with the rest mainly from living people. By 2024, the entire country will have 36 brain dead people donating their organs, which is the highest figure ever recorded. However, this number remains insufficient compared to needs. Currently, the list of patients with serious illnesses awaiting organ transplants numbers several thousand.
In the coming times, this branch will build a communication network, focusing on work, counseling and calling on people to join hands for this meaningful work. In addition, it will mobilize hospitals so that they cooperate with each other, share resources, train knowledge to evaluate the condition, prognosis… of cases of brain death. “We will work together to build mobilization procedures, assess brain death, screen, select appropriate organ recipients… how to make organ donation public and transparent.”said Mr. Hòang Bac.
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| Actress Dinh Ngoc Diêp shows her pride as she registers for organ donation. |
On the occasion of its launch, this branch launched the program “Register for organ and tissue donation – giving is forever” at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Immediately after the launch ceremony, many doctors, artists and staff members of Ho Chi Minh City University Hospital of Medicine and Pharmacy registered to donate their organs after brain death.
Also on this occasion, the Vietnam Organ and Tissue Donation Promotion Association coordinated with the Communication Center – Council on Tissue and Organ Donation and Health Care in Vietnam and the units related activities to organize a competition to create works of art and media-newspaper articles on the theme “Giving is forever”. The competition aims to raise awareness about the registration of organ and tissue donations associated with cultural development and community health. All Vietnamese and international friends can submit works in the form of short films, journalism (newspapers, reports, documentaries), photography, music, painting. The period for receipt of candidate files will extend from December 23, 2024 to October 30, 2025. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in December 2025.
Text and photos: Quang Chau/CVN
