Tasmanians are being told they are performing well nationally when it comes to organ donation and its outcomes, despite just nine people in the state donating organs last year.
A total of nine Tasmanians donated 34 organs in 2014, benefiting 32 patients.
The DonateLife Network, made up of organ and tissue donation agencies in 72 hospitals across Australia, said the state had a 12 per cent higher outcome than in 2013, and was higher than the national average last year measured on the basis of donors per million of the population (dpmp).
Tasmania achieved a donation outcome of 17.5 dpmp, 12 per cent higher than the 2013 outcome of 15.6 dpmp, and higher than the 2014 national average of 16.9 dpmp.
On average, up to 1,500 Australians are on the transplant waiting list at any one time.
In 2014, 1,117 Australian transplant recipients received life-saving or life-changing transplants from 378 organ donors.
DonateLife Tasmania’s Andrew Turner said he was pleased with Tasmania’s performance.
“We’re pleased with where the rate is at the moment. We’ve had an over 50 per cent increase over the last five years in the rates of organ donation,” he said.
“But we know that we need to do better, and what we’re seeing each year is an increase in the rates of organ donation. We hope that trend will continue over the next few years.
“The nine patients [in 2014] actually donated 34 organs and 32 patients received those organs, so at least 32 people have gone from being very, very unwell to now having a new lease on life.
“What we know makes a big difference is if people know their loved ones’ wishes, because if you know that someone wanted to be an organ donor it’s very easy to say, ‘Yes’,” he said.
Wayne Alomes, who has cystic fibrosis, received a double lung transplant in September, as his lung capacity deteriorated to just 20 per cent.
“I’d been waiting 10 months for an organ donation, my quality of life over the last five, six years had deteriorated to the extent where I was always constantly coughing, bringing up mucous, feeling uncomfortable, lack of energy,” he said.
“The first day after the operation there was a huge, huge difference, I could actually breathe properly, I could actually – silly thing – I bent over and tied my shoelaces up which was unheard of before.
“It’s just a wonderful thing to happen and my wife and family really appreciate the donor’s family for doing that for us.”