Health 24
Research by the Organ Donor Foundation has revealed there are currently 4 300 people in South Africa who require organs, yet only 800 of these patients will receive donations this year. As a result, it is crucial that new initiatives, including the recent option on Facebook allowing US and UK citizens to register as donors via the social networking site, are rolled out to other regions such as South Africa.
Facebook announced that 100 000 users signed up to become organ donors within days of the announcement at the beginning of May 2012.
According to Graham Anderson, Principal Officer at Profmed, the medical scheme that caters exclusively for graduate professionals, it is crucial that more people register to become organ donors in South Africa; but that those patients who elect to have this surgery are fully aware of the implications.
“While organ transplantations are covered by a medical scheme as it is a prescribed minimum benefit (PMB), the biggest obstacle is often finding a suitable match. However, sometimes there may also be certain exclusions depending on factors such as the patient’s current status of health.”
Severe shortage of suitable donors
He says that if the patient already has a number of co-morbidities – a condition that coexists with a primary disease – then it may be deemed too dangerous to proceed with a transplant.
Read more: http://www.health24.com/news/Surgery_Operations/1-949,74854.asp
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