By Nityaasini Sivagami

8 FEBRUARY, KUALA LUMPUR: Over 10,000 patients in Malaysia are waiting for life-saving organ transplants, yet donor numbers remain critically low. According to the National Transplant Resource Center, as of November last year, 10,266 patients were on the waiting list, with kidney transplants making up the majority. Other cases include nine heart and liver transplant patients, six awaiting heart and lung transplants, and one needing a lung transplant.

Since 1976, 3,024 organs and tissues have been donated, with only 960 living donors saving lives posthumously. Dr. Mohd Syafiq Ismail Azman, head of the center, emphasized the urgent need for more donors. He noted that Malaysia’s organ donation rate has slightly increased to 1.35 donations per million people, still low compared to other countries.

Speaking on Bernama Radio’s “Jendela Fikir”, Dr. Syafiq described the situation as critical, attributing low donation rates to lack of awareness in mainstream and social media. In 2023, 15,304 new pledgers registered, bringing the total to 398,000 since 1997. However, not all pledgers qualify due to medical and legal requirements, including family consent and recipient compatibility.

More public education is needed to increase pledges and save lives.