Organ trade

Greece is celebrating a remarkable year for organ transplants. Within two days, the country achieved a record number of deceased organ donors, highlighting a positive trend in organ donation and transplantation over the past four years. Officials from the Hellenic Transplant Organization (EOM) stated, "The year isn't over yet." 

In an unbelievable incident, a 36-year-old man who had suffered cardiac arrest and was declared brain-dead by doctors suddenly woke up during surgery to remove his organs for donation.

Anthony Thomas “TJ” Hoover’s family told local media that his case raises serious questions about the organ donation process, describing the situation as a “living nightmare.”

Doctors took a step towards a possible solution to the chronic organ shortage

The last three years have seen an increase in the number of transplants in Greece, with 2023 being the best year in the last 15 years in terms of organ supply.

According to National Transplantation Organization data, 87 deceased organ donors were registered last year (8.3 donors per million people), resulting in 204 solid organ transplants.

The General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime is investigating 14 transplants performed at the Lozenets government hospital, Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Boyko Rashkov said today.

He specified that the investigation started after the Minister of Health Stoycho Katsarov handed over the results of the inspections in the hospital to the Ministry of Interior.

Five people were arrested after police in Turkey uncovered an organ trafficking channel in Istanbul. The channel was created by Bulgarian citizens and donors who used a hospital in Istanbul for their activities, Turkish Daily writes.

Charges have been brought against four persons after the organ trafficking group has been dismantled, head of the Special Prosecutor's Office, Dimitar Petrov, told a press briefing on the operation, a Focus News Agency reporter said.

Two patients with organ deficiency clung to life with the same donated organ in Istanbul.

Sputnik is reporting this on Thursday.

The Appeals Court in Pristina ordered a second retrial for the owner of Kosovo’s Medicus clinic and his head anaesthetist, who were convicted in May of carrying out illegal transplant operations to sell kidneys.