Number of organ transplants increases in Quebec, waiting list stagnates

Many indicators have been encouraging for organ donation in Quebec over the past 10 years. Once again, 2024 was a record year in terms of the number of organs transplanted, up three per cent, and the number of people receiving transplants, up nine per cent.

However, 856 Quebecers are still waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, three more than last year.

Transplant Québec is the organization mandated by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux to manage the organ donation process and its equitable distribution.

Data released on Tuesday show that the number of referrals has increased by 89 per cent, demonstrating that the public seems to be aware of the issues surrounding organ donation.

Transplant Québec’s annual report highlights the challenges facing the province when it comes to organ donation. Although there are more referrals, less than 20 per cent of them result in actual donation. In hospitals, only one per cent of deaths meet the criteria for organ donation.

In a press release, Transplant Québec CEO Martine Bouchard says Quebec could do much better.

“These figures underline the urgency of systemic change,” she says. With a potential of around 600 donors a year for some 1,500 transplantable organs, we’re only a third of the way there. Yet, despite the progress made over the years, the statistics remind us of just how much work remains to be done.”

In 2024, 551 people were able to be transplanted thanks to deceased donors and the consent of their families.

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews