An organ transplant at Vietnam - Germany Hospital (Photo: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam passed a law relating to organ donation in 2006, however, so far the number of clinically-dead patients who have consented to donate their organs has been extremely low.
The blame for such low numbers, is directed at a lack of public unawareness of organ donation, along with limitations in hospital organisations, facilities and human resources.
Hospitals that are capable of conducting organ transplants such as Cho Ray and the Vietnam-Germany hospital are usually overloaded.
It is therefore necessary to increase awareness-raising campaigns and have policies to encourage people to donate their organs.
The first organ transplant taken from a brain-dead donor was successfully conducted at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City in 2010. Since then, similar surgery has been carried out at the Vietnam-Germany Hospital , Military Medical Academy and Hue Central Hospital .
Over the past five years, 1,200 people received transplanted kidneys, 34 had a liver transplant and one received a new pancreas.
Interestingly, from 35 clinically-dead patients, the organs harvested were donated to 100 other people.
The national coordination centre for organ transplantation has distrubited donated organs to hospitals across the country.
Organ transplant is the only way to save patients at the last stage of many diseases. A brain-dead donor could save 5-6 other patients.-VNA
