The state hospitals in Rio de Janeiro beat the record for harvesting organs, tissues and bones in 2021. More than 373 organs were collected, including 15 hearts. More than 600 people have benefited from transplants in the last 11 months, according to the State Health Department of Rio (SES).
The best result ever recorded by the folder happens even in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a period in which the prerequisites for donations were intensified due to the virus.
The good result during the Covid-19 pandemic came as a surprise to the cardiologist surgeon and chairman of the deliberative council of the Brazilian Association of Organ Transplants (ABTO), Paulo Pêgo. He explains that the number of potential donors has decreased since the coronavirus began.
“When a person is in the acute phase of any infectious disease, as is the case with Covid-19, you cannot donate organs, because you can transmit the disease to whoever is going to receive the organ. This was responsible for actually reducing the number of candidates for the donation”, said Paulo Pêgo.
By way of comparison, in 2020, hospitals in the state of Rio de Janeiro were responsible for capturing 10 hearts, 37 livers, 70 kidneys, 77 corneas, 1 lung and 3 pancreas.
Despite the good result achieved in 2021, Paulo Pêgo says that Rio de Janeiro historically has lower rates compared to other Brazilian states. According to the doctor, hospitals in Rio de Janeiro still need to ‘better prepare’ for organ harvesting.
“Rio has traditionally been bad, when it has increased, it’s good, but in comparison it’s below then. Rio has been trying to improve over the years, but it is very bad and has a long way to go to get close to the reference states, such as Santa Catarina and São Paulo”, concluded the chairman of the deliberative council of ABTO.
Rio de Janeiro has three hospitals responsible for capturing organs in the state. They are the State Hospitals Alberto Torres (Heat), in São Gonçalo, Adão Pereira Nunes, in Duque de Caxias, and Roberto Chabo, in Araruama. All are part of the Intra-Hospital Organ and Tissue Donation Commission for Transplantation (CIHDOTT).
Reference: CNN Brasil