70% of hospitals still fail to report donors. Outreach efforts are needed

- This year was a record year in terms of the number of transplants in Poland. We are all happy about this, as we remember the recent collapse in transplantology, caused by a pandemic. I know the problems of transplantology and have watched its development As a ministry, we ask for inspiration for programs that would promote the idea of organ donation and informative support for the public," said Deputy Health Minister Urszula Demkow.

While there are reasons to rejoice, it turns out that a great deal remains to be done. As Prof. Roman Danielewicz, chairman of the National Transplant Council, reminded, it is still not possible to secure as many transplants as recipients would expect.

- We need to continue and carry out a campaign to promote transplantation medicine, and we need to do so on both a community-wide and regional level. This needs the participation not only of transplantologists, but also of representatives of the government, local governments and the media. Also important is the participation in such a campaign of people after transplantation, as well as living donors and families of deceased donors. We need to create a positive image of transplantation medicine, show the benefits and the fact that recipients regain full function," said Prof. Roman Danielewicz.

Stronger promotion of transplants from living donors and implementation of organ procurement from people after cardiac arrest are also needed, he added.

- Some work in this direction has already taken place several years ago. Still, for various reasons - both financial and organizational - it does not manage to be fully implemented in Poland. It is necessary to make the public aware of the advantages of this, but also to develop the basis for implementing such a program," the KRT chairman postulated.

The importance of regional promotional activities can be evidenced by the results of the Give Life Program, implemented in 2022-2023 with the support of the Marshal's Office of the Mazovian Voivodeship. As part of it, an information campaign was conducted in 15 hospitals with the participation of psychologists and actors, two workshop conferences were held for transplant coordinators, and a transplant day was organized in eight post-secondary medical schools. Promotional activities were reinforced by spots displayed on Mazovia Railways.

- While nationwide the number of donations increased year-on-year by 25 percent, in Mazovia we had this 50 percent increase. It turns out that there are possibilities and it is possible. You just need some resources and a willingness to work," stressed Prof. Maciej Kosieradzki.

- Transplantologists experience some kind of disaster every few years, some misfortune strikes us. The last one was the COVID epidemic, which caused a dramatic drop in the number of transplants. After each such catastrophe, we slowly rebuild activity with antsy work, until another catastrophe happens," added Prof. Kosieradzki.

Prof. Wojciech Lisik, national consultant in clinical transplantology, also spoke about the not insignificant role of promotional activities.

- Through promotion, we open heads, especially for young people. We open their heads to the fact that it is possible to become a donor after death. Having a conversation with the family in advance makes the whole process of being a donor much easier later on, if a tragic event occurs," said Prof. Lisik.

- Polish centers are well-trained and can transplant all the organs that come our way. The growth in the field of transplantation is related not to the fact that we have suddenly started to transplant brilliantly, but because there is a larger pool of donors and that we have started to accept those who were not accepted until now," he stressed.

However, it turns out that promoting organ donation is also needed among hospitals. As many as 70 percent of them do not report donors.