BC leads in organ donation and transplants
There were 326 transplants performed in BC in 2014, providing a new chance at life for patients on the organ transplant wait list. Over 450 people in BC are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant, and while 95% of British Columbians agree with organ donation, only 20% have registered their decision—an online process available through transplant.bc.ca.
With 107 living donors in 2014, BC’s living donor rate of 23 donors per million leads the country (the national rate is 15.5 as of 2012). The province’s deceased donor rate of 14.8 donors per million (69 deceased donors in 2014) is just under the national rate of 15.5, and leads all other western provinces.
The most significant increase in deceased donation in the province in 2014 came from Vancouver Island hospitals, accounting for 21 deceased organ donors (triple the Island’s 5-year average). Several factors contributed to the increase in deceased donation on the Island: the work of the physician lead and in-hospital donation coordinator, expansion of donation after cardiac death as a donation option, and increased education and support for staff working in critical care areas.