Creation of an international organisation

Eurotransplant is an international organisation that was created in 1967 by Professor J.J. Van Rood and has its head office in Leiden, Netherlands. This institution brings together transplant centres from several member countries:

  • Belgium,
  • Netherlands,
  • Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,
  • Germany,
  • Austria,
  • Slovenia,
  • Croatia,
  • Hungary.

Missions

In terms of organ procurement and transplants, Eurotransplant has been mandated by the Belgian State in order to:

  • the optimal distribution of organs available via the extension of the pool of donors and recipients,
  • the drawing up of organ allocation rules,
  • ensure the transparency and objectivity of the selection system based on medical criteria,
  • the management of data concerning donors and recipients,
  • the promotion, support and coordination of organ transplants.

    It is in Leiden, at Eurotransplant's headquarters, that the medical, serological and administrative data of patients on the waiting list is kept in order to select the best candidate for transplantation when an organ becomes available.

Eurotransplant also organises many exchanges with other national and supranational allocation organisations, such as: 

Organisation

Within Eurotransplant countries, every time a donor is identified, the transplant coordinator of the centre concerned enters into contact with Eurotransplant.

He or she provides information about the donors' medical characteristics. As soon as the recipient is identified, Eurotransplant informs the transplant coordinator of the centre where the transplant will take place.

Eurotransplant will communicate all the necessary information for the transplant (time of procurement, distance of the donor from the recipient, methods of transport for the organ, etc.).

Once the transplant has been implemented, the transplant coordinator informs Eurotransplant, which removes the transplanted patient from the waiting list.

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