The number of Malaysians who have registered to become organ donors is still low, with only less than 1% having made the pledge out of 32 million Malaysians.
National Transplant Resource Centre organ and tissues procurement coordinator head Dr Omar Sulaiman said currently, a total of 25,000 kidney patients throughout the country were still waiting for compatible donors.
“Only an average of 40 patients are able to replace their damaged kidney in a year; the figure is small because we record about 1,000 kidney patients a year in Malaysia,” he added.
Dr Omar said this during the Organ Donors Week 2018 launch at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) here.
He pointed out that besides kidney patients, a total of 18 critical liver patients and six heart patients were also waiting for the right donors.
Dr Omar added that his side was doubling their effort to get more people to become donors through their “Let’s Talk” campaign.
“Many are still unaware that despite having already registered to become a donor, it does not necessarily mean that this person will have his or her organ donated when a death happens. This is because the hospital will still need to get approval from their family members or next of kin, and check on the condition of the organ before starting the process,” he added.
Dr Omar advised those who have already made the pledge to donate their organs to inform their family first to ensure their loved ones were not shocked at their decision and able to carry out their intention.
Dr Omar said this during the Organ Donors Week 2018 launch at Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) here.
Dr Omar added that his side was doubling their effort to get more people to become donors through their “Let’s Talk” campaign.
“Many are still unaware that despite having already registered to become a donor, it does not necessarily mean that this person will have his or her organ donated when a death happens. This is because the hospital will still need to get approval from their family members or next of kin, and check on the condition of the organ before starting the process,” he added.
Dr Omar advised those who have already made the pledge to donate their organs to inform their family first to ensure their loved ones were not shocked at their decision and able to carry out their intention.
/theSTAR 11-10-2018
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