The number of donations reached a record number in 2017, with more and more Belgians becoming donors, reports Le Soir on Monday. In Belgium, 1,300 people are waiting for an organ transplant. Last year, 348 post-mortem donations took place, up from 321 in 2016.
This is explained in particular by the fact that for the last 10 years the number of people who register on the list of organ donors has increased each year. There are currently 275,000 donors, an increase by 12% compared to the end of 2016.
"Organ donation is seen as a positive act, unlike it was a few years ago or in other countries where fears still remain," says Valerio Lucidi, head of liver transplantation at Erasmus Hospital. Belgium ranks behind Spain and Croatia in organ donation in Europe.
"In Belgian hospitals, those who identify potential donors are encouraged to take the necessary steps," says Lucidi, “and more families than before are being contacted”.
The Brussels Times
