With fewer organs donated, more people who are on organ waiting lists end up dying. (image: KobizMedia/ Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Dec. 5 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of people donating organs to hospitals after going brain dead is declining. This year, the number is expected to be less than 500.
According to the Korea Organ Donation Agency, the number of people whose organs were donated with consent from family members reached its peak in 2016 at 573. In 2017, the number fell to 515.
This year, the number currently stands at 428 at present, making it almost certain that the number will fall for the second consecutive year.
According to a survey by the agency, a total of 17.6 percent of 9,928 deaths that occurred in intensive care units at hospitals resulted from brain failure.
But only 15.3 percent of the deceased, 268 people, were organ donors. Even if there was previous consent by the individual, if a single family member is in opposition, the rate of donation falls greatly.
The rate of opposition has been growing steadily in recent years from 46 percent in 2016 to 56 percent in 2017. This year, the rate has been 60 percent.
With fewer organs donated, more people who are on organ waiting lists end up dying.
In 2015, 3.3 people died on average per day while waiting for an organ transplant, while this number rose to 3.6 people in 2016 and 4.4 people in 2017.
H. S. Seo (hsseo@koreabizwire.com)
