By Kim Rahn
The number of brain dead patients who have had their organs removed for donations is likely to reach 400 this year.
The Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS) under the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that 375 brain dead people donated organs between January and November, and expects this year's total to reach 400 for the first time.
The figure is more than 10-fold the 36 in 2002.
"The public has become more positive about organ donation. A growing number of people pledge to donate their organs in the event that they become brain dead or when they die, while in other cases family members of brain dead patients decide if their relatives should donate organs, thinking it will make the death nobler. Such a change in social recognition has pushed the figure up," a KONOS official said.
From the 375 patients, 706 kidneys were transplanted, along with 334 livers, 99 hearts, 33 lungs and 31 pancreases.
The youngest donor was a 4-month-old girl. After suffering brain death, the parents decided to donate her organs, and her heart was given to an 11-month-old girl and her kidney, to a 56-year-old woman.
But the increasing number is still far short of the demand because more than 22,000 people were waiting for organ donations as of November. The KONOS estimates that about 900 people die per year while waiting for transplants.
"In Korea, the number of brain dead people donating organs is seven per 100,000, much lower than Spain's 34 and 21 in the U.S. More than 10,000 kidney disease patients are awaiting organ transplants and they have to wait for five years on average," the official said.
The shortage of organs has led to an illegal organ trade. The Ministry of Health and Welfare discovered 754 illicit deals last year, a 4.3-fold rise from 174 a year before. The ministry expects the actual number is much larger because many cases go undetected.
The number of brain dead patients who have had their organs removed for donations is likely to reach 400 this year.
The Korean Network for Organ Sharing (KONOS) under the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday that 375 brain dead people donated organs between January and November, and expects this year's total to reach 400 for the first time.
The figure is more than 10-fold the 36 in 2002.
"The public has become more positive about organ donation. A growing number of people pledge to donate their organs in the event that they become brain dead or when they die, while in other cases family members of brain dead patients decide if their relatives should donate organs, thinking it will make the death nobler. Such a change in social recognition has pushed the figure up," a KONOS official said.
From the 375 patients, 706 kidneys were transplanted, along with 334 livers, 99 hearts, 33 lungs and 31 pancreases.
The youngest donor was a 4-month-old girl. After suffering brain death, the parents decided to donate her organs, and her heart was given to an 11-month-old girl and her kidney, to a 56-year-old woman.
But the increasing number is still far short of the demand because more than 22,000 people were waiting for organ donations as of November. The KONOS estimates that about 900 people die per year while waiting for transplants.
"In Korea, the number of brain dead people donating organs is seven per 100,000, much lower than Spain's 34 and 21 in the U.S. More than 10,000 kidney disease patients are awaiting organ transplants and they have to wait for five years on average," the official said.
The shortage of organs has led to an illegal organ trade. The Ministry of Health and Welfare discovered 754 illicit deals last year, a 4.3-fold rise from 174 a year before. The ministry expects the actual number is much larger because many cases go undetected.
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