The Ministry of Health has been promoting a National Action Plan for transplantation, further institutional establishment of the sector and the development of an integrated information system for relevant registries with a view to enhance transplantation in Cyprus, according to Health Minister, Neophytos Charalambides.
Addressing an event on Friday marking the 25th European Day for Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation under the slogan ‘Sharing Lives’, in Paphos, the Minister also said that training for intensive care specialists in Madrid is planned, in cooperation with Spain’s National Transplant Organization and the Spanish Ministry of Health, focusing on the identification and appropriate management of potential organ donors.
According to the figures presented, a total of 1,171 kidney transplants have been performed in Cyprus to date, involving 1,108 organ donors, while 181 grafts have been provided to other countries as part of international cooperation.
The Karaiskakio Foundation’s Bone Marrow Donor Registry has more than 200,000 Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot volunteers. More than 1,000 Cypriot volunteers have already donated stem cells to patients in 36 countries.
The Minister stressed the need to strengthen organ donation, noting that, according to Council of Europe figures, more than 100,000 patients in member states are waiting for an organ transplant, while more than 8,000 people die while on waiting lists.
He said increasing donation rates requires a healthcare system that inspires public confidence, applies strict quality and safety standards and ensures that organs are allocated through transparent procedures and objective, medically substantiated criteria.
Particular emphasis has been placed on protecting the health and dignity of both donors and recipients, as well as providing support to the families of deceased donors through appropriately trained healthcare professionals, as he noted.
The Ministry’s priorities also include strengthening the network of transplant coordinators in public and private hospitals. Their role is considered crucial in identifying potential donors, communicating with families and ensuring the timely mobilisation of the relevant services, the Minister said.
The network’s expansion will be accompanied by ongoing training for doctors and nurses working in intensive care units and at the Transplant Clinic of Nicosia General Hospital.
In this context, targeted training for intensive care specialists in Madrid is planned in cooperation with the Hellenic Transplant Organisation and Spain’s Ministry of Health. The aim, Charalambides said, is to acquire expertise in identifying and appropriately managing potential donors, which will be applied in Cypriot hospitals and help establish domestic training capacity.
The Health Minister acknowledged the longstanding cooperation with the Hellenic Republic and the Hellenic Transplant Organisation, with the shared aim of expanding treatment options for patients awaiting a transplant.
At the same time, he said that developing partnerships with other countries for transplants that are not performed in Cyprus could broaden the possibilities of finding compatible organs.
Charalambides also highlighted the importance of cooperation with the Council of Europe and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare (EDQM), which supports the implementation of common quality and safety standards, the exchange of expertise and the protection of donors and recipients.
On the occasion of the European Day, he said the Ministry had identified the continuous provision of scientifically substantiated information to the public on organ and tissue donation as a key priority.
Information, he stressed, must reach schools, communities, workplaces and the media, address misinformation and respond to public concerns, so that decisions can be made freely and without pressure.
He also highlighted the importance of discussing posthumous organ donation with family members, so that a person’s wishes can be expressed in advance and be known before the difficult circumstances surrounding a bereavement arise.
The Health Minister expressed his respect and gratitude to living and deceased donors, their families, transplant recipients and the healthcare professionals contributing to the effort.
As he noted, donation does not undo a loss, but it can give another person the opportunity to continue living, putting into practice the message ‘Sharing Lives’.