Organ donations hit record high

Organ donations were up a fifth in 2009 marking a record year, new figures show.

Some 270 organs were obtained from 90 people across the state, including hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys.

Kidney transplants reached a new record with 172 procedures carried out -up 11% on 2008, according to the National Organ Procurement Service.

David Hickey, of the Organ Procurement Office at Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital, paid tribute to the families who supported the donation of their loved one’s organs.

“Organ donation is an extremely sensitive and emotionally difficult situation, especially for relatives of the donor,” Mr Hickey said.

“But many speak afterwards of the consolation they feel in giving permission for donation to occur and how this permission can give some sense to an otherwise meaningless death.

“Such gratitude can only materialise if relatives also feel that their grief has been respected throughout the donation and transplant process and they have not been placed under pressure to give consent.”

Last year’s donations included:

:: 17 hearts, up seven from 2008.

:: 13 lungs, up four from 2008.

:: 68 livers, up nine from the previous year.

:: 172 kidney transplants were carried out, up 26 on 2008, at the renal transplant programme at Beaumont.

Mr Hickey said transplants were an extremely important service.

Dr Liam Plant, Consultant Nephrologist with Cork University Hospital and Director of the HSE National Renal Office, praised Beaumont Hospital on its Kidney transplant success.