TRANSPLANT THE SEED.

Minister calls for awareness as dedicated week to seek more organ donors starts

- MICHELLE FLEMING

A RECORD number of transplants took place in the first three months of this year, the launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week heard yesterday. 

But there are up to 600 patients on waiting lists for procedures including heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas.

A total of 81 operations were carried out between January and March.

The theme of this year's awareness campaign – which starts this weekend – is Don’t Leave Your Loved Ones in Doubt.

Its aim is to highlight the importance of talking about your donor wishes to family. Speaking at the launch, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly stressed the importance of talking about plans to donate organs.

He said: “It can be uncomfortable. But it will make it easier to make this decision at a difficult and tragic time. Organ donation is a gift of a second chance of life.” The minister championed a new Bill on the way, which allows for living kidney donation by donors who don’t know the recipient.

This year is the 60th anniversary of the first successful transplant operation in Ireland.