That is why the number of organ donations has increased

In Switzerland, 200 people died last year whose organs were allowed to be used for organ transplants. That is more than ever before and corresponds to an increase of approximately one fifth compared to the previous year.

Last year, 565 people in Switzerland benefited from organ donations – 111 more than the year before. The Swiss foundation for organ donation and transplantation, Swisstransplant, announced this on Tuesday.

At the end of the year, 1,391 people were still waiting to donate at least one organ. And last year, 92 people on the waiting list for organ donation died. That is also a record. Last year, 83 people died on the waiting list for an organ donor.

According to Swisstransplant, the increase in organ donations is not due to the system change, which voters approved at the ballot box in 2022. In the future, with the so-called comprehensive objection resolution, everyone will generally be considered a donor.

Rather, the development goes back to newly introduced support for donor hospitals in identifying potential organ donors. This is done by the Swisstransplant medical service.

In addition, since the end of 2022, certain heart transplants have been performed in Switzerland after prior ex vivo cardiac perfusion. This complex technique makes it possible to maintain heart function outside the body and thus extend the time between organ removal and transplantation.

Since the beginning of the year, the new chairman of the board of directors of Swisstransplant is the Bernese SP State Councilor Flavia Wasserfallen. Previously, former Ticino SP state councilor Marina Carobbio Guscetti and vice-presidents Daniel Candinas and Markus Béchir headed the committee. (cst/sda)