Hungary will join Eurotransplant, the international organisation responsible for coordinating organ transplants in its member countries, as a full member on July 1, under an agreement signed in Budapest on Monday.

The agreement was signed by Hungarian Minister of State for Healthcare Miklós Szócska and Head of Eurotransplant Bruno Meiser. Hungary signed a preliminary agreement to join the Eurotransplant initiative on January 1, 2011, which led to major savings both for patients and the state, through for example reducing the time spent on a dialysis machines. Experts earlier projected a 10% rise in organ transplants in Hungary as a result of joining the organisation.

Eurotransplant is an international foundation promoting the exchange of organs for transplants. Membership costs about 300 million forints (EUR 1.1m) annually, mainly made up of patients' registration fees and transport costs. Other members of the organisation are: Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia, Luxemburg, Germany and Slovenia.

(Ministry of Human Resources)