The Ministry of Health aims to increase the number of kidney transplant operations by 60% and of liver transplant operations by 45% compared with this year towards 2021. Among other objectives are to fully satisfy the necessities of bone tissue for transplantation, to increase the number of cornea transplants and to start to transplant heart valves and human cells, IPN reports, quoting the National Transplant Program for 2017-2021 that was proposed for public debates.
The kidney transplant operations were resumed in 2011, when a kidney transplant from living donor was performed. The number of transplants rose to ten a year out of 50 needed. The first liver transplant operation in Moldova was performed in 2013 and the number of such operations was gradually increased to ten a year at a time when 20 transplants a year are needed. Kidney transplant implies costs of 160,000 lei, which is less than the costs of dialysis treatment.
In order to increase the number of donors, especially of donors with dead brain, it is suggested creating a national network for coordinating the donation of organs and human tissue and of an excellence center in the field.
The first three cardiopulmonary transplantations are to be performed in 2019. It is planned that the number of such operations will be increased to seven a year by 2021, out of 20-25 needed now, and will involve specialists from Moldova, Spain and France.
The program also envisions a 10% increase in the number of tissue transplants and the initiation of stem cell and heart valve transplantation. It is proposed creating a stem cell monitoring system and connecting it to the Romanian Stem Cell Registry. A new head office is to be identified for the tissue bank, which is to be outfitted in accordance with the EU directives.
The National Transplant Program for 2017-2021 is the second national program of the kind. The first was worked out and approved in 2012 and covered the period between 2012 and 2016. A legal framework was created in 2016 to enable transplants from living donors and from donors with dead brain and who died as a result of cardiac arrest.
