Sunday, December 28, 2008

More People Donated Organs in 2008







By Bae Ji-sook

Staff Reporter

Organ donations from brain-dead donors reached their all time highest this year, the Korean Network for Organ Sharing said Friday.

Two-hundred-and-fifty people donated 1,119 organs, which comprised 469 kidneys, 305 corneas, 227 livers and bowel, 82 hearts, 14 lungs, 21 pancreases.

The network said more brain dead people's families are agreeing to the donations _ 86 did in 2004, but the number jumped to 148 last year. ``Concepts have been changing steadily and the donation from the late boxing champion Choi Yo-sam in early January raised public awareness,'' the organization spokesman said.

Choi collapsed during a boxing match and after eight days in an injury-induced coma, doctors declared him brain dead. His family agreed to remove his organs for donation, as was his wish when he was alive.

However, the network said the nation still needs more donors ― those waiting for transplants reached 10,683 this year, about 1,000 more that 2007.






[출처 : 코리아타임스]

No comments: