The increase in the number of organ and corneal transplants in Türkiye is promising. Social awareness about organ donation has increased day by day, and thus, more patients have had the chance for treatment. The total number of organ transplants performed in Türkiye from 2002 to November 2023 is 74 thousand 704, including 52 thousand 258 kidney transplants, 20 thousand 671 liver transplants, 1210 heart transplants, 320 lung transplants, 198 pancreas transplants and 47 small intestine transplants. From 2010 to November 2023, corneal transplants reached 37 thousand 666 cases. These numbers show that thousands of patients waiting for organ transplants are being offered a new chance of life. Organ donation can be made by any individual who is over the age of 18 and in full possession of their faculties. In our country, where living donors can donate liver and kidney, donors can donate by making an official or written will or by obtaining an organ donor card from authorized units. Donations recorded through the Organ and Tissue Donation Information System of Türkiye can be easily viewed by citizens, making use of the E-State integration. Additionally, in case of death of people who did not donate organs while they were alive, their organs can be removed with the consent of their families. Organ transplant is considered a last resort for many diseases. In the statement of the Presidency of Religious Affairs dated 1980, it is stated that organ transplant is permissible from the religious perspective. In Türkiye, the first kidney transplant was performed in 1968, the first heart transplant was performed in 1969, and the first successful living donor kidney transplant was performed in 1975. With the Organ Transplant Law coming into force in 1979, studies in this field gained further momentum. According to the data announced by the Ministry of Health, as of November 2023, the number of patients waiting for kidney transplant is 24 thousand 449, the number of patients waiting for liver transplant is 2 thousand 600, the number of patients waiting for heart transplant is 1422, the number of patients waiting for lung transplant is 204, the number of patients waiting for pancreas transplant is 277 and the number of patients waiting for corneal transplant is 4 thousand 119. The number of organ donations and transplants increases every year, so is the number of families who consent donation from the brain-dead patients. The importance of organ donation and the increase in the number of transplants show developments in the field of health and the rise of social awareness in Türkiye. As the Ministry of Health, we emphasize that organ donation saves lives, and we call on everyone to be sensitive about this issue.
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