Il April 14 marks an important moment in the national calendar: the National Organ, Tissue and Cell Donation Day. This year the Provincial coordination of donations in Ferrarawith the patronage of the Transplant Reference Center of Emilia-Romagna, organized a series of events and initiatives to raise awareness among both healthcare workers and citizens of the importance of organ and tissue donation.
Sui monitor of the waiting rooms of the Cona emergency room, of the CUP of the Cittadella San Rocco in Ferrara and of the CUP of the Argenta hospital will be projected images and information messages about donation. This approach is designed to involve and inform users, offering information on ways to express their desire to donate.
One of the most important initiatives, thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of Ferrara, is the lighting of a monument in the heart of the historic centre: the fountain in Piazza della Repubblica with the color red – symbol of love, solidarity and hope – which will take place in day of April 14th. This gesture not only makes the importance of the donation tangible, but also invites the community to reflect on the importance of this altruistic act.
CENTO. The Municipality of Cento will also light up Rocca Possente in red on 14 April on the occasion of the national day dedicated to raising awareness of organ donation.
Furthermore, to reach an even wider audience, a short video to share on social media. This video, aimed at raising awareness and informing citizens on how to express the desire to donate organs and tissues, also serves to publicize National Donation Day, inviting everyone to join this important cause. The video “27th national donation day” will be published on the websites www.ospfe.it and www.ausl.fe.it and on the Facebook and Instagram pages of the Ferrara Healthcare Companies.
“Donating is certainly a gesture of solidarity – underlines the Dr. Silvia Bortolazzi, Head of Provincial Donation Procurement Coordination, together with all the staff – but it is also, and above all, a choice that should be made by every citizen in full awareness. The “conscious” choice to make one’s declaration of will while alive, in accordance with the law, translates into a process to protect the donor and the recipient. It is right to give everyone the tools to know what donation is and the importance of this gesture, to allow a voluntary, conscious and serene choice, eradicating unjustified fears towards organ donation. Expressing one’s desire to donate in life is a guarantee that our choices are respected and relieves our closest loved ones, family and relatives, from the responsibility of having to decide for us”.
TO EXPRESS YOUR WILL you must be of age, after which there are no age limits to organ and tissue donation. The five ways to declare the desire to donate alive (also listed in the information video broadcast on the monitors) are as follows:
– at the municipal registry office, at the time of issuing or renewing the identity card. The declaration will be recorded directly in the SIT, the database of the National Transplant Center, which can be consulted by the transplant coordination doctors 24 hours a day;
– at one of the ASL reference officesby filling out the appropriate form, which will be registered directly in the SIT;
– by enrolling in Aido (Italian Association for Organ Donation). Also in this case the signed declaration will be registered directly in the SIT. Recently it is also possible to download the AIDO APP, finally a super simple way to say “Yes”;
– by filling out the blue Ministry card, downloadable online. The card must be signed, dated and kept among personal documents;
– writing a statement in your own hand on a blank sheet of paper, also called “holographic deed”, complete with date and signature. This declaration must also be kept among personal documents.
“Together, with determination and commitment – concludes Dr. Bortolazzi – we can make a difference in the lives of many people through donation. On April 14, let’s join together to celebrate the generosity and solidarity that make this gesture of love and hope possible”.
SOME DATA. On the national territory for donations and transplants of organs, tissues and cells, 2023 was unprecedented: in the year just concluded, the activity of the Italian transplant network achieved the best results ever achieved in the history of our system in practically all indicators. Village. Emilia-Romagna is positioned as the first region in Italy with a donation rate of 51.1 per million population, followed by Veneto with 46.4 and Tuscany with 45.6 PMP donors.
In 2023 in Ferrara 248 corneas, 33 organs and 18 tissues were donated.
At a national level, the rate of opposition to the levy remained essentially unchanged. In resuscitations, the percentage of those who refuse the donation has risen slightly (30.5%, +0.7%) above all due to the ever-increasing incidence of those who have already registered their “no” while alive. In 2023, on the occasion of the renewals of electronic identity cards (CIE), 2.4 million consents were collected (68.5%) but also 1.1 million refusals (31.5%).
Watch the video here on the 5 ways to declare the desire to donate alive