A kidney transplant conducted by doctors of Chợ Rẫy Hospital in February 2023. Photo courtesy of the hospital

HCM CITY — Chợ Rẫy Hospital has the highest number of registered organ donors in the country, according to the Việt Nam National Coordinating Centre for Human Organ Transplantation.

As many as 62,555 people registered to donate organs in Việt Nam last year, compared to just 265 in 2014. Chợ Rẫy Hospital posted about half of the total registrations.

Since the first kidney transplant on February 28, 1992, the hospital has conducted 1,127 kidney transplants.

Among those, a total of 70 organs were transplanted from brain dead patients or those who had dysfunctional hearts.

The hospital has cooperated with transplant centres in the Republic of Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), Australia, the US, and Spain, among others, to send doctors and nurses on study and experience exchange programmes.

Trần Văn Thuấn, deputy health minister, said the operation, which is becoming a routine technique at many hospitals across the country, especially Chợ Rẫy, has contributed to reviving many of those patients with organ failure.

“Organ donated for those who have organ dysfunction is a priceless gift. It is not only a noble gesture, but also prolongs the lives of sick people who seem to have lost all hope in life.

“With the spirit of kindness and sharing, many people have decided to donate organs, contributing to changing the lives of unfortunate patients who are waiting for donated organs,” he said.

Nguyễn Tri Thức, the hospital’s director, said the hospital has maintained good cooperation with airlines, police and health authorities to deliver the donor organ across the country.

Chợ Rẫy Hospital has pioneered in innovating solutions to utilise the sources of organs donated. In 2008, the hospital succeeded in transplanting organs from brain dead patients.

They also successfully performed transplantation from a donor with cardiac arrest on June 18, 2015, a cross-donor transplant on January 11, 2017 and ABO blood type incompatibility on December 29, 2021.

In Việt Nam, anyone over 18 years old can register to donate their organs after death or brain death.

Two official centres offering official registration for organ donors are Việt Nam-Germany Hospital in Hà Nội and Chợ Rẫy Hospital in HCM City. — VNS