Staff at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital were recently given a presentation about the importance of organ and tissue donation, and how they can help to spread the word to others.
During Grand Rounds, which is a physician’s training session, they were given some statistics that show the number of donations each year versus the number of people who need them. There were also guest speakers who had their own personal stories to tell of how organ donation changed their lives.
Those who attended were told that, in 2013, 4,543 people were waiting for an organ transplant in the province, while 2,125 transplants took place. In 2012, 15 people died while waiting for heart transplants, 69 while waiting for new lungs, and 62 for a liver. Around 1,500 people are currently on the list. In Cambridge, of the possible 111,810 people who can donate, only 31,810 people are registered donors, putting the level at 28%, which is a little higher than the 25% percent average for the province.
They also learned that anyone in the province who wishes to donate needs to register with the Trillium Gift of Life Network and not just have a donor card. The organization is working to make the donation process as streamlined and efficient as possible, making it easier to get the organs to those who need them.
Brochure printers can help to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation by producing informational pamphlets and other materials for distribution to the public.
