BC Transplant and the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) set a record year of organ donations, saving nearly 500 lives last year.
This is a 25% increase compared to 2016 as the rate jumped to almost 25 donors per million, maintaining status as one of the leading provinces in Canada for deceased donations.
“The last year has been a really dramatic increase in the number of deceased donors,” says BC Transplant Services Director David Landsberg.
“That has led to record years for kidney disease donations, heart and liver transplants, as well as lung transplants.”
In Northern BC, 23 people received transplants in 2017, a slight increase from 21 a year prior.
While there were only two deceased donations from the region, Landsberg believes this doesn’t the overall generosity of others.
“I think the best indication a system which is supporting organ donation is actually the number of referrals we get. So, this is a call from the hospital to say that we have somebody who could potentially become an organ donor.”
He adds the North’s low population rate compared to other health authorities in BC also plays a factor.
BREAKING: BC sets new organ donation and transplant records in 2017 https://t.co/YD6Yx0iGqd @BC_Transplant pic.twitter.com/LcwoCUZ6Gn
— BC Transplant (@BC_Transplant) January 26, 2018