"ORGAN DONATION - A NEW CHANCE FOR LIFE" TRIBUM HELD.

Last night, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zenica hosted a panel discussion entitled "Organ Donation - A New Chance for Life", which was organized jointly with the Donor Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Association of Dialysis and Transplant Patients of the Federation of BiH.

The importance of organ donation was discussed with students by leading people from these organizations, as well as the organ explantation coordinator of the Zenica Cantonal Hospital, Senada Kubat-Čaušević, M.Sc., and her colleague, Dr. Nermina Rizvanović.

Msc. Senada Kubat-Čaušević explained the entire procedure for explanting donated organs when it comes to organ donation after brain death, and through practical examples explained how exhaustive and emotionally difficult the procedure is. Dr. Nermina Rizvanović presented the history of organ explantation at the Zenica Hospital from the beginning to the present day, and pointed out that the first pediatric explantation and the first heart explantation in BiH were performed in this hospital. At the very beginning, it was not possible to perform a heart transplant in BiH, and thanks to an agreement with neighboring countries, and on this occasion with Croatia, the first explanted heart was transplanted in Croatia.

"So, you have to be motivated to do it. Naturally, in addition to education and everything else. This year is truly a record in terms of the number of transplants and the number of cadaveric transplants and donors. That is why this promotion of donation is extremely important and I am glad that we are at the Faculty of Medicine in Zenica, among future doctors who are the ones who need to spread this idea of donation. Because, without donors, there is no transplantation. We can have, I emphasize this, good experts and good equipment, but if we do not have a donor - if the family does not give consent, then there is no transplantation," emphasized Academician Resić on this occasion.

President of the UDiTB FBiH Tomislav Žuljević said that, "according to their information, 27 organ transplants were performed in the FBiH this year. This is, he added, a huge progress, because "two years ago 8 or 10 transplants were performed, and last year 16 transplants. It is certain that people's awareness has increased. However, this is a living thing and we need to talk about it every day, because as soon as the attention of the media and citizens drops a little, of course we have a problem, which is why we hold such forums."

According to current data, around 180 patients are waiting for a kidney transplant, around 40 patients are waiting for a liver transplant, and 25 for a heart transplant.

On this occasion, the importance of media influence on the awareness of society and the community was also emphasized, because as mentioned, we can all be potential donors, but it is more likely that we will be in a situation where we need organs.