Six transplants in seven days in Federation of BiH: Saved lives are the best promotion for organ donation

(Patria) - The Donor Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Association of Dialysis and Transplanted Patients of FBiH welcome the progress in the realization of transplants in the Federation of BiH in the past seven days. It is particularly important that in addition to related and preemptive transplants, there were also cadaveric transplants from clinically deceased donors.

”First of all, I want to express my gratitude to the families of deceased donors for deciding on this difficult but certainly the most humane act that exists. Of course, to the transplant coordinators whose task it is to talk to the families and the transplant teams of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo and the University Clinical Center in Tuzla. We want to believe and hope that these transplants are not only the result of the pressure from our two associations and the media in the past three months, but the decision of the competent authorities and clinical centers to dedicate themselves maximally to transplants,” says Tomislav Žuljević, president of the Association of Dialysis and Transplanted Patients of the Federation of BiH and a member of the Management Board of the Donor Network of BiH.

We remind you that the Donor Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Association of Dialysis and Transplanted Patients of FBiH have conducted numerous campaigns to educate citizens and promote donation in the past four years, during which more than 7,000 donor cards were signed. They organized numerous forums, workshops, and established partnerships with key European experts and associations, and through projects, provided state-of-the-art education for transplant teams from BiH.

In the past three months, alongside the continuous struggle for the sustainability of the Donor Network, letters have been sent to all competent institutions, including clinical centers, meetings have been organized, and urgent action and continuous work have been requested.

”We are truly overjoyed by the realized transplants. It is extremely important to maintain this dynamic in transplant medicine. Especially if we want to join Eurotransplant, which is constantly mentioned. That is why we appeal to the competent institutions to remain committed and to support the Donor Network in its mission to strengthen donation through the education of healthcare professionals primarily, and then all citizens of our country. Apart from the Donor Network and our partners from the Association of Dialysis and Transplanted Patients, no one is engaged in the education and promotion of donation, and in order for us to continue, improve, and intensify our work, urgent financial support from institutions is needed. For now, the Donor Network is largely sustained by its members paying all organizational and activity costs,” says the president of the Donor Network of BiH, Prof. Dr. Emeritus Halima Resić.

In addition to the announcement of financial support for associations by the city administration of the City of Sarajevo, other competent institutions remain silent, despite promising membership in Eurotransplant. Transplants and saved lives are the best result and the best promotion of donation - this is the message from both associations.

The Donor Network of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Association of Dialysis and Transplanted Patients of FBiH remain committed to their mission of promoting organ donation, monitoring the development and achievements of medical and related sciences related to donated organs, public speaking, organizing professional meetings and discussions, seminars, symposia, congresses, as well as establishing cooperation and contacts with organ donation programs in other countries.

The Donor Network BiH Association is a non-governmental and non-profit organization founded by enthusiasts, people who, through their professional engagement and calling, or life circumstances, are connected to the fight for life through transplantation. The goals of the Donor Network BiH's activities are to educate citizens and the professional public of Bosnia and Herzegovina about donation and the importance of transplantation, as well as to raise public awareness about the necessity of organ donation and increase the number of donor cards. You can follow the activities of the Donor Network via the website donorskamreza.com, the Facebook page Donorska mreža BiH, and the Twitter account of the Donor Network BiH, @BudiDonor, and contribute by signing a donor card.