In the first nine months of 2024, 25 brain-dead individuals donated their organs, allowing 87 organs to be transplanted to numerous patients who were anxiously waiting for the gift of life.

At the second scientific conference on organ donation in Vietnam, held on October 11, Associate Professor Dr. Dong Van He, Director of the National Coordinating Center for Organ Transplantation, announced that the organ transplantation sector in Vietnam achieved an unprecedented milestone in its 32-year history in the first nine months of 2024.

According to data from the National Coordinating Center, Vietnam had 25 brain-dead individuals donate their organs in the first nine months of 2024. This has significantly contributed to an increase in organ transplants from brain-dead donors. Specifically, out of 829 organ transplants, 87 (nearly 10.5%) were from brain-dead donors.

Dr. He noted that although Vietnam is a leader in organ transplantation in Asia, transplants from brain-dead donors are still relatively rare. He called the 10.5% figure a record, as the rate of organ donations from brain-dead individuals used to be around 5-6%. From 2010 to 2022, Vietnam averaged 10-11 brain-dead organ donors per year. In 2023, only 16 brain-dead individuals donated their organs out of over 1,000 transplant cases.

Of the 25 brain-dead donors in the first nine months of 2024, 2 cases were from Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, while the remaining 23 cases were from 10 northern provinces, including Hanoi and Hai Duong. Notably, 52 provinces and cities have yet to report any brain-dead organ donations in the first three quarters of 2024.

Vietnam's first successful organ transplant was performed in 1992, with a kidney transplant from a living donor. Since then, Vietnam has conducted more than 8,000 organ transplants, including over 7,000 kidney transplants and 500 liver transplants.

The first organ transplant from a brain-dead donor took place in May 2010. By October 2022, Vietnam had only performed over 130 organ transplants from brain-dead donors.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Kim Tien, former Minister of Health and President of the Vietnam Association for Organ and Tissue Donation, noted that Vietnam's rate of brain-dead organ donation is among the lowest in the world, ranking third from the bottom.

According to Dr. Tien, one of the challenges in promoting organ donation stems from the traditional belief in Vietnam that the body should remain intact after death. Many people are still unaware that organ donation is an act of compassion, responsibility, and cultural significance. Additionally, health insurance coverage for organ transplants in Vietnam is limited, accounting for only about 40% of the total cost.

Currently, 29 hospitals in Vietnam perform organ transplants, including 27 kidney transplant centers, 8 liver transplant centers, 5 heart transplant centers, and 4 lung transplant centers. Vietnamese doctors have also mastered difficult techniques such as pancreas transplants and multi-organ transplants. However, despite the increase in brain-dead organ donations, the organ shortage in Vietnam remains severe. It is estimated that 36 people die each day in Vietnam due to the lack of available organs for transplantation.

Vo Thu