British Columbia saw a record-breaking 563 organ transplants last year from a record 160 deceased organ donors and 77 living donors.
Edward Ferre, provincial operations director for BC Transplant, says B.C. had 28.8 deceased donors per million population in 2023, the highest in the country.
He says BC Transplant staff work in intensive care units to ensure patients are referred as potential donors, as mandated by provincial law.
However, there are 512 people waiting for a transplant in B.C., and Ferre says part of the effort to get more residents registered to donate their organs involves educating youth.
Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows B.C. is ahead of other jurisdictions when it comes to organ donations for the third year in a row.
Last year, it had 29.8 deceased donors per million population while Ontario had 21.8 and Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut each had 21.
By Camille Bains in Vancouver
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2024.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
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