Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Transplant Headlines

A few selected headlines from around the world

A Market for Kidneys?
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE posts an article on the pros and cons of offering monetary incentives to boost the number of organs available for transplant and publishes readers comments on the topic. You can read the full article and join the discussion at THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE.

Organ donation rates jump
4 Sacramento, California area hospitals lauded for locating those who give a life-saving gift
The Sacremento Bee reports that UC Davis Medical Center, Sutter Roseville Medical Center, Kaiser Permanente Sacramento Medical Center and Mercy San Juan Medical Center all have been recognized by the federal government for meeting federal goals for organ donation rates.

Nearly 100,000 people nationwide are waiting for an organ transplant, but only about half of the nation's potential donors – those who suffer brain death and are suitable organ donors – actually become donors, either because their families refuse or because of poor coordination between hospital staff and local organ procurement organizations.

The four Sacramento-area hospitals were among 392 facilities nationwide that have upped their rates to 75 percent or more of eligible donors. The rates are based on the percentage of potential donors who actually become donors. The only area hospital eligible for the award that didn't get it was Sutter Medical Center Sacramento, which just missed the goal, at 70 percent.

The four hospitals were part of a national program called the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative, which identified the best ways to integrate organ donation into hospital care, and offered training for nurses, doctors and others who care for dying patients.

The hospital logging the greatest rate gain was UC Davis, where it jumped from 39 percent in 2005 to 79 percent last year. read the full article.


Zubiri scores CNN for organ trade report
The Manila Times publishes this article on the topic of the trade of human organs in the Philippines.
"Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri demanded Tuesday an apology from the American CNN news channel for airing on November 6 an “erroneous” slant on trade of human organs in the country.

In a privileged speech, Zubiri said that CNN international correspondent Hugh Riminton made it appear that the Philippines is heading towards the direction of not only legalizing commercial kidney donation but also making human kidneys an official Philippine export.

Dr. Reynaldo Lesaca, the head of the Human Organ Preservation Effort (HOPE) of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, claimed that CNN edited their interview with him and came out with a special report different from what they had talked about.

“By painting an incomplete and misleading picture, the CNN resorted to tabloid-type journalism which is inappropriate and unexpected from a leading international news agency. We support Lesaca and HOPE’s demand that CNN issue an apology for the wrong report and correct it,” Zubiri said. read the full article.


“You Have the Power to Save Lives – Sign Your Donor Card & Tell Your Loved Ones of Your Decision”

Download Donor Cards from Trillium Gift of Life Network

Download Donor Cards from OrganDonor.Gov

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