Skopje, 6 October 2023 (MIA) – Through the symbolic planting of a seedling, as a synonym for a new life to be nurtured, attendees at an event Friday in Europe House Skopje, organized within the frameworks of the European Union’s “Support for the Transplantation System” project, marked the European Day of Organ Donation and Transplantation.

At the event, attendees paid homage to all 19 donors and their families, which gave a chance for a new life to 67 people.

EU Ambassador David Geer opened the event, saying that organ donation is a topic that touches the lives of countless individuals and their families.

Fifty-seven-year-old Ivan Ognjanovski is one of those people. In May 2020, he became the first patient in North Macedonia to receive a heart transplant.

“We have to be aware that sometimes an end also means a new beginning. A new life. For us, as patients, it is a new beginning, for the families it may be a consolation that some part of their closest ones lives on. For the rest of us, it is a sign of hope and faith in goodness in the hard times that we are living in. Today, three years after the transplantation, the donor’s family is my new family. I receive invitations for socializing events in Dojran all the time. For me, it means a new life and new friends. Sometimes it is hard at those meetings, when they recollect their closest ones who are no longer with us, but, at the same time, we also talk about the future,” said Ognjanovski.

The process of cadaveric transplantation was introduced in North Macedonia in 2015, following the amendments to the law regulating this matter. The greatest progress was achieved in 2020, with the start of the multi-organ transplantation, i.e. the transplantation of several organs from a single donor. That year saw the first heart transplantation, while in the following year the first transplantations of bone tissue were performed, and in 2022 the first transplantation of liver was performed. Within a period of 3 years, 19 families granted consent for donation and a total of 67 organs were transplanted, in particular, 34 kidneys, 3 livers, 9 hearts and 20 bone tissues.

Minister of Health Fatmir Mexhiti said that starting from nothing in a relatively short period of time of three years, the country has managed to reach multiorgan transplantation. 

“Today, our clinics successfully perform heart, liver, bone tissue and kidney transplantations. I can proudly say that in North Macedonia there is a system in the Ministry of Health, which is a key condition for the successful transplantations of organs and tissues. There is an excellent monitoring system for the organs and their distribution using the platform ‘Moj Termin’. We have transparent waiting lists and software for selection of recipients,” said Minister Mexhiti, emphasizing that transplantations have been realized through the Program for Transplantation by the Ministry of Health.

The Health Minister said the first cadaveric transplantation of a heart was made in April 2020, highlighting that 9 hearts, 3 livers, and 34 kidneys have been transplanted since then.

He expressed gratitude to all families who agreed to donate the organs of their close ones in the most difficult moment, thereby saving many lives.

“It is the families of donors who raised public awareness for organ donation in the country, which will save many more lives. We are forever thankful,” said Mexhiti.

The National Transplantation Coordinator, Dr. Maja Mojsova-Mijovska highlighted the human dimension of transplantation.

“Transplantation on its own saves lives, but, in order to save a life, we must have families ready to donate. Donating at times of the most difficult parting with our closest ones is the most powerful act in human existence. A human love that is immeasurable. We celebrate this day with immense respect for all donors and their families and a simple message: You saved lives,” said Mojsova-Mijovska.

Photo: MIA