The Ministry of Health data revealed a significant rise in organ transplant applications across Türkiye in 2023, reaching a total of 639,968 applications, with Izmir topping the list at 86,645 applicants.
Izmir, previously experiencing a decline in organ transplant applications amid the COVID-19 pandemic, saw a substantial increase. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, 13,000 people in Izmir applied for organ transplant. However, this number fell drastically to 4,184 in 2020 and 1,550 in 2021. There was a subsequent increase in 2022, reaching 3,137 applicants, followed by a significant surge in 2023, with 6,500 applications.
The trend in organ transplant operations also paralleled these fluctuations. While Izmir conducted 407 transplant surgeries in 2019, the numbers declined during the pandemic years, with 198 operations in 2020 and 230 in 2021. Subsequently, there was a moderate increase to 225 in 2022, and a notable rise to 265 transplant surgeries performed in 2023.
Dr. Hüseyin Bozdemir, head of Health Services at Izmir Provincial Health Directorate, emphasized Izmir's history of successful organ donation and transplant surgeries. Despite the pandemic's impact on these procedures, the number of patients awaiting organ transplantation did not decrease significantly.
Bozdemir expressed optimism, stating, "We're heading toward pre-pandemic figures. Our aim in 2024 is to boost donor numbers with the newly inaugurated hospitals in Buca and City Hospital, providing hope to transplantation patients. Although heart transplants dwindled during the pandemic, we are now performing six surgeries, indicating a recovery phase."
Emphasizing the necessity of family consent for organ donation, Bozdemir highlighted the importance of enhancing public awareness. He noted various awareness campaigns, including disseminating information in Friday sermons and educating students and teachers in schools.
Bozdemir underlined the stringent precautions undertaken before transplantation surgeries, including PCR tests and infection control measures. He stressed the need for consent from experts and consultations before proceeding with transplantation surgery.
Highlighting that organ transplant surgeries predominantly involve living donors, Bozdemir emphasized efforts to increase donations from deceased individuals, signifying an ongoing commitment to expanding organ donation possibilities.
