The number of organ transplants in Hungary rose by 17 percent last year, mainly due to the fact that in 2012 Hungary joined the Eurotransplant international organ donor organisation, Minister of State for Health Miklós Szócska said on Wednesday in Budapest.

Mr. Szócska said this increase was also due to the fact that a professional consensus has been reached in Hungary regarding both the development of organ transplant infrastructure and on joining the international organisation. He said organ transplants are cost-efficient while at the same time offering patients a full life following surgery.

The Minster of State said that in order to increase the efficiency of the system, it is advisable to have longer waiting lists, because the larger the number of potential recipients, the easier it is to find a match within Eurotransplant.

He also said the approach of Hungarian society to organ transplants was also a contributing factor, as the country has a system of presumed consent, meaning that all persons who do not forbid the use of their organs after death, are automatically considered donors.

Sándor Mihály, Director of the National Blood Supply Institute’s Organ Donor Office, said that since joining Eurotransplant, Hungary has received 60 organs and sent abroad 96. He also said that last year organs were removed from deceased individuals in 155 cases and from live donors in 40 cases.

The other member states of Eurotransplant are the Benelux countries, Austria, Croatia, Germany and Slovenia.

(Ministry of Human Resources)