7/1/09
Organ donor rates have climbed to their highest level since transplant operations began in Australia 40 years ago, offering hope of a shorter wait for those in need of life-saving surgery. Official figures released yesterday put the number of Australians who were registered as organ donors and who died in the past year at 259 – a 30 per cent increase on the previous year’s 198 organ donors. The rise comes after an awareness drive in intensive care units and emergency departments for more people to sign up as donors. Kidney Health Australia medical director Tim Mathew welcomed the increase, saying it had helped to deliver life-saving replacement kidneys to 90 people. The waiting list for kidneys dropped from 1388 to 1298 in 2008 – the biggest drop in any transplant category – but the wait still averaged four to five years.
See: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24882041-23289,00.html
Tags: Australia, Organ Transplants