The National Day of Organ Donation and Transplantation is being observed this Sunday, July 20, with the National Health Service (SNS) highlighting the occasion.
“Today we remember the generosity and altruism of all organ donors in Portugal. Thank you for helping save lives!” reads a post shared on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
In a follow-up post, the SNS reminds users that “everyone is a potential organ donor and can help those in need.”
Organ Donation
The SNS website offers comprehensive information on organ donation. Here are some key points:
Conditions to be a donor
“Despite the individual wish to be a donor, not everyone can be one, as it is imperative that the donor’s death occurs in an Intensive Care Unit of a hospital. These units are essential for organ preservation and for conducting all necessary tests for the correct evaluation of each potential donor,” it states.
Which organs and tissues can be donated?
The organs that can be donated are:
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Heart
- Pancreas
- Lungs
From an organ donor, the following tissues can also be retrieved:
- Osteotendinous tissues (such as bone, tendon, and other osteotendinous structures)
- Corneas
- Heart valves
- Vascular segments
- Skin
Can you choose the organs to donate?
The SNS explains that one can choose the organs to donate: “If you do not want to donate any organ or tissue, you should express it in the National Registry of Non-Donors, although the possibility of complete donation (of all organs) is usually considered given the scarcity of organs for transplantation.”
What could prevent donation?
“It is mandatory to ensure that the donor does not have any disease or condition transmissible through the organ or tissues to the recipient. Otherwise, the donation and subsequent transplant cannot be performed,” explains the SNS.
Further information can be found here.
In celebration of the National Day of Organ Donation and Transplantation, Lifestyle ao Minuto interviewed Élia Mateus, Coordinator of the Liver Transplant Unit at Hospital Curry Cabral.
