Nguyen Thi Thuy Xuan of Long An province is acutely aware of theimportance of organ donation: her son would not be alive if he had notreceived a kidney from his father eight years ago.
Xuan said shewas told by doctors at Cho Ray Hospital that her son would likelysurvive if a relative could donate a kidney. The operation wassuccessful, and shortly after, Xuan registered her name with thehospital's organ donor list.
"I happily and voluntarily agreedto donate my organs to save patients if I was certified as brain-dead orheart-dead," she told Vietnam News on the sidelines of a meeting heldon organ donations in HCM City on May 30.
At the meeting,organised by Cho Ray Hospital's organ transplant coordination unit, Xuanspoke about the urgent need for organ donation.
Also speaking atthe meeting, Tran Ngoc Sinh, President of the Nephrology and UrologySociety of HCM City, and a urologist and consultant at Cho Ray Hospital,said that Vietnam's hospitals began performing organ transplants in1992, but only a small number of people have received transplantsbecause of a shortage of donor organs.
He said that current donations come mostly from the families of patients who can donate portions of their livers or kidneys.
"Thecountry needs organ donations from recently dead patients, and patientswho have experienced brain death or cardiac death," he said.
A brain-dead donor can save up to seven to eight people by contributing kidneys, liver, heart, lungs or pancreas, he said.
Sinhsaid that organ transplantation must be fair and that donations must bedistributed first to patients in need. Profit incentives must beavoided, he said.
In Vietnam, more than 16,000 patients are waiting for organ transplant operations.
Morethan 8,000 patients suffer from chronic kidney failure, 6,000 are blinddue to corneal problems, and 1,500 are struggling with liver failure.Hundreds of others are waiting for other organ transplants.
DeputyDirector of the city's Nhi Dong 2 Pediatrics Hospital Truong Quang Dinhsaid the hospital had performed 14 kidney and eight liver transplantoperations over a 10-year period.
He said the figure was low because organ donations remained "modest" due to high costs and a donor shortage.
Onaverage, one liver transplant costs a total of 200 million VND. Therecipient must pay 150 million VND, and of that cost, health insurancecovers 130 million VND.
The regulations on organ donationsbecame effective in 2001. However, the Health Insurance Law has "noterms or articles for support fees to adults who donate organs tochildren. That has also contributed to the scarcity of organs," Dinhsaid.
Each year, his hospital has an average of 13 to 14patients who need a liver transplant and 15 patients with chronic kidneyfailure.
Quyen Linh, a well-known TV emcee and host, who spoke at the meting, said he had registered to donate his organs.
Hesaid that religious beliefs or ignorance had prevented people fromregistering on donor lists or volunteering to become donors after death.
Peopleare reluctant to volunteer because they want their bodies to remainintact after death, he said, adding that low awareness about the numberof lives that could be saved through organ donations was another factor.
Atthe meeting, doctors and participants agreed that Vietnam shouldconduct a national campaign to improve public awareness andunderstanding of organ donations.-VNA
Xuan said shewas told by doctors at Cho Ray Hospital that her son would likelysurvive if a relative could donate a kidney. The operation wassuccessful, and shortly after, Xuan registered her name with thehospital's organ donor list.
"I happily and voluntarily agreedto donate my organs to save patients if I was certified as brain-dead orheart-dead," she told Vietnam News on the sidelines of a meeting heldon organ donations in HCM City on May 30.
At the meeting,organised by Cho Ray Hospital's organ transplant coordination unit, Xuanspoke about the urgent need for organ donation.
Also speaking atthe meeting, Tran Ngoc Sinh, President of the Nephrology and UrologySociety of HCM City, and a urologist and consultant at Cho Ray Hospital,said that Vietnam's hospitals began performing organ transplants in1992, but only a small number of people have received transplantsbecause of a shortage of donor organs.
He said that current donations come mostly from the families of patients who can donate portions of their livers or kidneys.
"Thecountry needs organ donations from recently dead patients, and patientswho have experienced brain death or cardiac death," he said.
A brain-dead donor can save up to seven to eight people by contributing kidneys, liver, heart, lungs or pancreas, he said.
Sinhsaid that organ transplantation must be fair and that donations must bedistributed first to patients in need. Profit incentives must beavoided, he said.
In Vietnam, more than 16,000 patients are waiting for organ transplant operations.
Morethan 8,000 patients suffer from chronic kidney failure, 6,000 are blinddue to corneal problems, and 1,500 are struggling with liver failure.Hundreds of others are waiting for other organ transplants.
DeputyDirector of the city's Nhi Dong 2 Pediatrics Hospital Truong Quang Dinhsaid the hospital had performed 14 kidney and eight liver transplantoperations over a 10-year period.
He said the figure was low because organ donations remained "modest" due to high costs and a donor shortage.
Onaverage, one liver transplant costs a total of 200 million VND. Therecipient must pay 150 million VND, and of that cost, health insurancecovers 130 million VND.
The regulations on organ donationsbecame effective in 2001. However, the Health Insurance Law has "noterms or articles for support fees to adults who donate organs tochildren. That has also contributed to the scarcity of organs," Dinhsaid.
Each year, his hospital has an average of 13 to 14patients who need a liver transplant and 15 patients with chronic kidneyfailure.
Quyen Linh, a well-known TV emcee and host, who spoke at the meting, said he had registered to donate his organs.
Hesaid that religious beliefs or ignorance had prevented people fromregistering on donor lists or volunteering to become donors after death.
Peopleare reluctant to volunteer because they want their bodies to remainintact after death, he said, adding that low awareness about the numberof lives that could be saved through organ donations was another factor.
Atthe meeting, doctors and participants agreed that Vietnam shouldconduct a national campaign to improve public awareness andunderstanding of organ donations.-VNA
