Doctors at Chợ Rẫy Hospital perform a transplant operation from a deceased donor. Photo courtesy of Chợ Rẫy Hospital

HCM CITY — The rate of organ donation from deceased people in Việt Nam remains modest compared to other countries, leaving demand for organs still far exceeding supply, according to the Việt Nam National Coordinating Centre for Human Organ Transplantation under the Ministry of Health.

The rate of organ donation from deceased people in developed countries ranges from 50-60 per cent, said Assoc. Prof. Đồng Văn Hệ, director of the centre.

Spain, France and countries in North America have high rates of deceased organ donation at more than 90 per cent, he said at a conference held at Chợ Rẫy Hospital on Friday.

More than 8,360 transplant operations have been carried out in Việt Nam since 1992, with only 6 per cent of transplant operations being from deceased donors and the remaining 94 per cent from living donors, he said.

With more than 1,000 transplant operations conducted a year, Việt Nam has taken a lead in Southeast Asia in the number of transplant operations over the past two years, but it is among the countries with the lowest rate of organ donation from deceased people.

Only four hospitals perform more than 100 transplant operations a year while many hospitals have to halt transplant operations as there are no organ donations for transplants, he said.

Nearly 4,000 people are on the waiting list for transplants, with most of them waiting for kidney and liver transplants and more than 80,000 people are registered to donate organs after death.

The establishment of a network of organ and tissue donation advocacy is essential to encourage organ donations and leads to an increase in the rate of organ donation from deceased people, he added.

At the conference, a branch of the Việt Nam Association for Organ and Tissue Donation Advocacy at Chợ Rẫy Hospital was launched.

Dr. Nguyễn Tri Thức, director of Chợ Rẫy Hospital, who was appointed as head of the branch, said the advocacy for promoting organ and tissue donation plays a vital role in increasing the number of organs available for transplant.

Chợ Rẫy Hospital’s Unit for Co-ordinating Human Organ Transplants has received more than 47,000 donor enrollments. —VNS