On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 2 PM  in Lviv (Ukrainian Catholic University) the round table on “Transplantation in Ukraine: discussion of effective functioning model of the transplant coordination system” was held.

It was organized the Lviv City Council, Public Council Commettee on health reforms under the Department of Health, NGO “Pulmonary Hypertension – Ukrainian Rare Disease Association”, LCCF of “Sister Dalila”, PHURDA.

Information Partner of Roundtable – Ukrainian Catholic University.

The round table was visited by Oleg Berezyuk, official of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The speakers:

the priest Igor Boyko;

Oksana Kulish, LCCF of “Sister Dalila”, PHURDA;

Volodymyr Zub – Head of health care in LCC

Juan Fuertes – Board Member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in Europe (PHA Europe), international projects manager of PHA Europe, a member of the European Lung Foundation, Board Member of the European Patients Forum

Boris Todurov, Head of Heart Institute, corresponding member of National Medical Sciences Academy of Ukraine, MD, Professor, Honored Doctor of Ukraine

Natalia Van Doeveren – deputy chief doctor of the Lviv regional clinical hospital

Igor Pysarenko – anesthesiologist, the only transplant coordinator in Ukraine

Iryna Senyuta, head of medical law in Lviv National Medical University of D.Halytskyi

Victor Serdyuk, President of the Ukrainian Council of protection of the patient rights and safety

Rubai Oksana -Deputy of the Lviv City Council, acting director of the Lviv City Center of Social Services for Families, Children and Youth

Volodymyr Golik – academic director of the rehabilitation medicine school

The representative of LRSA DOH.

The round table was also attended by Alina Didusenko, an orphan child from Kyiv region, who needs heart and lung transplantation.

The round table was opened by Oksana Kulish and Volodymyr Zub.

Oksana Kulish drew the attention of all present to Alina Didusenko to explain the importance of the issue of organ transplantation from cadaveric donor in Ukraine.

The priest Ihor Boiko spoke about the Church  position regarding organ transplantation and explained that when a person agrees to donate its organs after death, he/she shows the greatest act of love.

Juan Fuertes noted the importance to have the authorities support, because saving even one life is a miracle, so it’s important to create a law that would help save many lives. By 2030 World Health Organization aims to provide general health care system in the world. PH patients are a part of our society. Some of them can be cured by lung or heart and lung transplantation. We shouldn’t let die those, who has the chance to live.

Boris Todurov highlighted the law “On transplantation” in Belarus, which provides the “presumption of consent (opt-out)” that we must adopt. Thanks to this law the number of transplantation in Belarus increased from zero (0) to forty (40). Our society isn’t ready yet to give permission for organ donation after death that’s why it is important to conduct informational promotion among the society.

Igor Pysarenko stressed that the old law “On transplantation” allows all stages of cadaveric transplantation. The thing we need is DOH to create Recipients Register or so-called waiting lists. About 90% of the deceased person relatives agree to donate organs. However, there is no recipients. Kazakhstan, for example, has the exact number of recipients, while we don’t.

Natalia Van Doeveren supported the Igor’s idea. Lviv has lots of people, who need  lung, heart, kidney and other organs transplantation. Since 2008 we have conducted 83 transplantations from the relatives. However the number of those, who need it, is much bigger. We need to form public opinion in order to achieve success in transplantation.

Irina Senyuta stressed the need to adopt the law “On amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine on health care and transplantation of organs and other anatomic human materials” in accordance with international standards, international experience and human rights. The bill, which was adopted in Verkhovna Rada at the first stage has significant shortcomings and we can’t allow its adoption. In addition, it is necessary to create a single state register of donors and recipients and implement transplant coordination system at national level.

The representative of LRSA DOH supported the importance of cadaveric organ transplantation in Ukraine and informed that Lviv region has approved a regional program on free provision of PH patients with medicines.