Organ Donations Remain Low, Over 10,000 Patients Waiting For A Chance At Life

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- More than 10,000 patients are desperately awaiting an organ donation that could give them another chance at life.

According to statistics from the National Transplant Resource Centre (NTRC), as of November last year, kidney transplant patients make up the largest group, with 10,266 individuals on the waiting list, followed by heart transplants (nine patients), liver transplants (nine), heart and lung transplants (six), and one patient awaiting a lung transplant.

NTRC director Dr Mohd Syafiq Ismail Azman said that, to date, only 960 actual donors have saved lives by donating their organs after death, contributing to a total of 3,024 organs and tissues donated since 1976.

“These figures prove that the actions of a single individual can change many lives. However, the numbers remain low, and much more needs to be done to raise public awareness about registering as organ donor pledgers.

“The organ donation rate in this country is still low compared to other nations. However, there has been a slight increase, with the current rate standing at 1.35 organ donations per million population in Malaysia,” he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama Radio’s ‘Jendela Fikir: Tahap Penerimaan Derma Organ di Malaysia’ programme here.

Dr Mohd Syafiq Ismail said a total of 82 actual organ donors donated their organs after death last year.

He attributed the low level of awareness to the lack of exposure regarding the importance of organ donation procedures in social media and mainstream media, describing the situation as worrying and detrimental to patients in dire need.

He said that last year, 15,304 new organ donor pledgers were recorded, bringing the total number of pledgers to 398,000 since 1997.

However, not all pledgers would qualify as organ donors, as there are several conditions that must be met before the organ donation procedure can be carried out.

“These conditions include the type and timing of death, next-of-kin consent, and the suitability of the recipient.

“The family or next-of-kin also plays a role in approving organ donation. Even if the deceased was a registered organ donor pledger, we still require the family's consent. Without it, the donation cannot proceed, despite the deceased's prior pledge,” he said.

Dr Mohd Syafiq Ismail advised organ donor pledgers to inform their family members of their intentions to prevent misunderstandings, as many people, particularly Muslims, still harbour misconceptions about organ donation after death.

He explained that in June 1970, the National Fatwa Council decided that organ donation and transplantation are 'harus' or permissible in Islam.

Members of the public who wish to become organ donors can register via the MySejahtera application or contact the NTRC hotline at 1-800-88-9080. More information is available at www.dermaorgan.gov.my.

-- BERNAMA