Speaking at the event, Prof. Trinh Hong Son, Director of the Center, said that there are 19 organ transplant centers nationwide, which have carried out nearly 3,700 organ transplant operations. Each year, the Vietnamese organ transplant sector gains some new achievements, demonstrating its world-class technical expertise. However, the biggest challenge for the sector is a shortage of organs for transplantation, while the link between transplant centers has yet to meet the requirements.
According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien, at present, the information link among the 19 domestic transplant centers is still limited. He also noted that Vietnam should learn experiences from developed countries in order to optimize software for looking up information and improve connections.
“Vietnam needs to move towards modernity so that we can coordinate organ transplants faster and more effectively, and gradually link with major foreign organ transplant centers,” Tien stressed.
Sharing the US experience in organ transplant coordination, Doctor David Klassen, Chief Medical Officer of the United Network for Organ Sharing, said that, like other countries in the world, the US is also facing a shortage of donated organs. However, it is one of the countries with the fastest growth in organ donation and transplantation in the world, thanks to its effective legal framework.
Currently, there are nearly 20,000 Vietnamese people registered to donate organs after their death, up by hundreds of times compared to five years ago.
Vietnam has successfully carried out nearly 3,700 organ transplants, including over 3,500 kidney, 150 liver and 28 heart transplants.
Translated by Lam Anh