A new report published Wednesday said there was a record high number of organ transplantations in Israel in 2022.
The report by Israel's National Transplant Center said 656 Israelis gained new life in the year thanks to an organ donation. However, the number of people waiting for a transplant still increased, including those passing away while waiting for an organ donation.
According to the data, in the past year there has been an increase in liver transplants -from 87 in 2021 to 92 in 2022 - and in lung transplants, from 55 to 61. Heart transplants rose from 24 to 32, while 759 people received a cornea transplant.
The data also showed a sharp rise in the number of kidney donors among family members, from 58 in 2021 to 133 in 2022.
However, the number of kidney transplants from donors saw a decline: In 2021, 242 transplants were performed, compared to 186 in 2022.
"This year we have increased cooperation with foreign countries in kidneys exchange of living donors, as the Czech Republic and the United Arab Emirates joined Austria," says Prof. Rafael Beyar, chairman of the Steering Committee at the National Transplant Center.
"Despite the annual increase in the number of transplants, we are still frustrated because the waiting list keeps growing. Every year, we manage to increase the number of transplants, and yet, many more patients are still in need."
"We also implanted new preservation equipment of the liver and heart through injection of solutions, which will help in increasing the inventory of organs," Prof. Beyar added.