World Transplant Day: how to be an organ donor in Mexico?

The February 27 each year commemorates the world transplant daya date to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donationso here we will explain how to be an organ donor in mexico.

World Transplant Day arose at the initiative of the National Transplant Organization of Spain, with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation, as well as motivating the population to become a donor, so every 27 February marks this date.

Organ transplantation is undoubtedly one of the great advances in modern medicine, as it represents a second chance for those who have suffered damage to an organ or tissue that puts their lives at risk.

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Despite the available information, today many beliefs persist that prevent people from becoming organ donors. However, it must be clarified that being a donor does not entail any riskbut you can help save others.

How to become an organ donor in Mexico?

In Mexico, thousands of people with chronic diseases are waiting to receive the organ they need to save their lives, so here we will explain how you can become a donor.

According to the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), the General Health Law establishes that “the donation is the consent of a person so that, in life or after his death, any organ or tissue of his body is used for transplants”.

living donation

For one living donation the only organs that can be transplanted are a kidney, a segment of the liver, umbilical cord blood, and bone marrow. You need to be between 18 and 65 years old, as well as meet the following requirements:

• Be compatible with the transplant recipient
• Give written consent
• Receive complete information about the risks of the operation and the consequences of removing the tissue
• Be a relative of the recipient, preferably
• If you are not a family member, give consent before a Public Notary stating that it is donated free of charge, altruistically, freely and consciously.

donation after death

It is also possible to become a organ donor after death. In this case, people between the ages of 2 and 80 who have died of irreversible cardiac arrest or brain death they can become donors, as long as the medical studies have positive results.

Donation after death can be tacit, consented by relatives, or with the express consent of the person to become a donor after death.

If you want to become an organ donor, you must register as a volunteer with the National Transplant Center (Cenatra), for which an official form must be filled out stating the express consent to donate organs, tissues and cells after death.

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Registering as a voluntary organ donor is free of charge, as is receiving a transplant, and registration cannot be revoked by any third party. On the contrary, it is also possible to express the refusal to donate organs or tissues by filling out another form provided by Cenatra.