The Organ Donor Foundation says it hopes to attract more people to donate organs through its grassroots mass education programme.
The Foundation says about 4000 people are currently waiting for organ transplants across the country. Hundred of the 4000 are heart transplant patients.
The Foundation’s Executive Director, Samantha Nicholls, says of those 100 heart transplant patients, only about a quarter of them will receive transplants, because of the shortage of donors.
The foundation held a media briefing in Cape Town. Nicolls says she hopes their programme will encourage more people to come forward to donate organs.
“We can see a decrease in heart transplants and solid organ transplants from 2000 and we know that we need more public education and more doctors to refer potential donors to transplant centres. To register, our website is odf.org.za and our toll free number 0800 22 66 11.”
