March 26, National Transplant Day: a new benefit, the same solidarity

Last January, the National Transplant Organization presented its activity data for 2024, once again making clear Spain's level of excellence in this field. Then the Minister of Health, Mónica García, assured that "it may not be new to say that Spain is a leader in organ donation and transplantation, but we must not forget the tireless work carried out by the health professionals who participate in this process to reach these record numbers, as well as the solidarity of the donors and their families."

This March 26 is National Transplant Day and for that reason we remember that since last March 3, Social Security has granted broader protection to people who, altruistically, carry out the transfer of an organ or tissue for another person, in order to save their life or improve their conditions.  

This coverage means that those who donate have the right to receive a subsidy equivalent to 100% of the regulatory base during the days in which they receive health care from Social Security and are unable to go to their workplace.

Furthermore, the new situation includes both the days prior to the transplant, derived from the medical preparation for the surgery, and those elapsed from the day of hospital admission for its performance and until the patient is discharged due to a cure.

This subsidy is paid by the managing or collaborating entity that covers temporary disability due to common contingencies (INSS, ISM or Mutual Collaborator with Social Security).

What are inter vivos donations like?

Live organ donation is possible if the conditions and requirements established by Law 6/2024, of December 20, for the improvement of the protection of live donors of organs or tissues for subsequent transplantation are met.

The donor must be of legal age and enjoy good physical and mental health, in addition to following the steps indicated by professionals in order to guarantee the rights of both parties, freedom in decisions, voluntariness, gratuitousness and altruism.

According to data from the 2024 activity yearbook of the National Transplant Organization, last year 16 live kidney transplants were performed in the context of the Cross Kidney Transplant Program managed by the ONT.

The tissues that can be donated inter vivos are those that can be removed during some surgeries, for example, in hip replacement surgery the femoral head can be donated; Heart valves can be obtained from the hearts of patients undergoing heart transplants, and placenta donation when giving birth is better known.

In the case of bone marrow donations, donors can be people between 18 and 40 years old who do not suffer from any disease that can be transmitted to the recipient or diseases that could endanger their life due to the donation. Once registered, a donor can remain registered up to age 60, at most.

In 2024, the goal of 500,000 people registered in the Spanish Registry of Bone Marrow Donors (REDMO) was exceeded. Specifically, as of December 31, this figure was 505,505 donors.