Bursa leads in organ transplants in Turkey, Europe

Turkey's northwestern province of Bursa has surpassed national hospitals in Turkey and European countries with its exceeding rates of organ donor supplies and transplant operations, as its hospitals have carried out well-organized awareness initiatives for health sector employees and the public who were hesitant or had limited knowledge about the life-saving operations. 

Bursa supplies the highest number of corpses in organ transplants as it also leads in the number of organ transplant operations carried out in Turkey. While in 2009 the supply rate for a million patients was 1.8 corpses, this number rose to 22 in 2016. 

Bursa Provincial Health Directorate head, Özcan Akan, said the first step taken for this success was the initiative carried out to create awareness in organ transplants. 

He said for those who were hesitant due to religious reasons, Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate issued a fatwa in 2012 and its employees were educated to inform that the practice was approved. In mosques, sermons ruled that the operations would not breech Islamic laws. All unions, nurses associations, political parties, youth and women branches were visited and were asked for endorsements. Pamphlets, brochures and films were prepared to inform the public about it.  

Meanwhile, health services personnel also underwent major training, and emergency services doctors, nurses and 112 emergency line employees were educated about the process. The executives of health centers were convinced that organ transplants required team work. Events were carried out by centers to inform the different stages of organ transplants, explaining the processes of receiving the organ, its carriage and its transfer. 

After meticulous works by health centers and...