The Star Newspaper reports that, in a bizarre development, South Africa is experiencing a severe shortage of body parts for transplants due to reduced road accidents during the alcohol ban.
Transplants were halted during the lockdown except for heart transplants.
Experts estimate that alcohol contributes 27.1% to all road accidents in South Africa.
There are currently 4300 patients on the waiting list in South Africa.
Prof Rafique Noosa, Chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation, said the death rate of 251car accidents deaths per million means there should be more than enough donors to supply the whole country, if half the population were donors .
He said South Africa only has 343 000 donors out of a population of 60 million. Each donor can save up to 7 lives and benefit up to 50 patients.
A donor can provide hearts, lungs, Kidneys, corneas, skin and pancreas. Click here to join the organ donor database of South Africa at odf.org.za
Please read the full story in today’s Sartuday Star – 6 February 2021.Â
