It's Donor Week, when leading organizations urge Dutch residents to register as organ donors. The need has never been greater.
The Donor Week initiative is a key part of the 'The Netherlands Says Yes' 2020 campaign. Backed by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, health funds, and the Transplantation Nu Foundation, the Dutch Transplantation Foundation (NTS) works to encourage more people to register in the Donor Register.
Currently, more than three million Dutch people are registered, but it's crucial for everyone to record their choice. This spares families a heartbreaking decision in their time of grief—and your organs could save multiple lives.
Each year, over 600 transplants are performed in the Netherlands using organs from deceased donors. Yet demand far outstrips supply: 862 people await kidneys, 115 need livers, 206 require lungs, and 67 are waiting for hearts. Tragically, 135 patients died on the waiting list in 2009 alone.
You can also become a living donor. Dutch hospitals conduct around 400 such transplants annually, typically involving a kidney or part of a liver from a healthy individual.
The Dutch Transplantation Foundation (NTS) is dedicated to boosting organ and tissue transplants while enhancing outcomes. It also trains hospital staff on effective donor recruitment, ensuring families are approached with sensitivity and expertise.
In short, registration matters. For more details, visit www.donorweek.nl.
