This article is from page 21 of the 2009-03-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
PEOPLE from County Clare are being asked to carry a donor card, which will be freely available from Saturday all over the county.
Organ Donor Awareness Week 2009 will take place from Saturday, March 28 until Saturday, April 4. The awareness campaign is organ- ised by the Irish Kidney Association and supported by the Irish Donor Network.
Chief Executive of the Irish Kidney Association, Mark Murphy predicted
that 2009 will see a record number of kidney transplants, but cautioned that there is a need for many more deceased organ donors before levels of heart, lung and liver transplanta- tion can increase.
Mr Murphy’s prediction for a record number of kidney transplants in 2009 is based on sustaining or increas- ing the current levels of deceased donors together with the successful new Living Transplant Programme at Beaumont Hospital, where there were 10 living transplants in 2008, and projections for 2009 are that up
to 30 living kidney transplants will take place.
Thanks to the generosity of 81 de- ceased donors and their family’s con- sent for donation, 210 organs were transplanted in Ireland in 2008.
In 2007, there were 88 deceased donors which was three less than in pau eter
There are currently over 600 people in Ireland awaiting life-saving trans- plant operations. Almost 2,400 peo- ple in Ireland are enjoying extended life as a result of receiving organ transplants.
A total of 85 people are currently receiving life-saving haemodialysis treatment in an over-stretched unit in the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
This unit is catering for 20 people from Clare, 18 from Tipperary and 44 from Limerick city and county. A further 16 patients must travel to the Wellstone clinic in Galway while work begins on a new Satellite unit on the Dock Road in Limerick. Seven of these patients are from Clare.
Most recent research shows that in two years, the need for dialysis in
the mid-west has increased by 41 per cent.
Information factfiles which accom- pany organ donor cards can be ob- tained (free of charge) from the Irish Kidney Association and are available nationwide from pharmacies, GP surgeries and Citizen Information Offices.
Organ Donor Cards can also be ob- tained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association LoCall 1890 543639 or Freetext the word DONOR to 50050. Alternatively, visit the website at www.ika.le.