According to new figures from the Department of Health, 308 organ transplants and 149 organ donations have been recorded in Ireland in 2017.
2017 was a record year for transplants and organ donations in Ireland. Adding 28 to its overall figure for 2016, Ireland’s grand total included 190 kidney transplants, 61 liver transplants, 36 lung transplants and 16 heart transplants.
“Our message is simple, organ donation saves lives,” Professor Jim Egan, director of Organ Donation and Transplant Ireland, said in a statement.
It’s been revealed that 98 families donated the organs of their deceased loved ones, while there were 51 living kidney donors in the country this year.
Health minister Simon Harris, who earlier this year launched the public consultation process for an opt-out organ donation system for Ireland, said: “I am heartened that 2017 marked our highest annual transplant performance and saw 308 transplants carried out in our hospitals for the first time.
”I congratulate our transplant teams in Beaumont Hospital, St Vincent’s University Hospital and the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital on their efforts during the year.
“Their excellent work led to a remarkable increase in the number of transplants from 280 in 2016 to 308 this year.”
Harris has previously said that he wants organ donation to become ”the norm” in Ireland. The minister went on to particularly thank the living kidney donors for their ”truly heroic deed”.
“I would also like to particularly thank the 51 living kidney donors this year,” Harris added.
“This is another record figure (exceeding the 50 in 2016) facilitated by the enthusiastic team in Beaumont Hospital.
”Making such personal sacrifice and giving the gift of life to another is a truly heroic deed. I hope all living donors and the beneficiaries of their kindness are doing well and looking forward to the year ahead.”
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