Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in a video message on Wednesday expressed the importance of organ and tissue donation for saving lives.

He stressed that organ donation is the highest act of humanity and something which he himself is prepared to do.

According to the Prime Minister, sometimes organ and tissue transplantation is the only way to cure the sick and save the lives of fellow citizens, but lack of matching organs and tissues, as well as donors, poses an issue.

“Organ donation is the highest act of humanity. I’ve discussed it with my family and have told them that I am prepared to help save somebody’s life. Every one of us can make a contribution, by raising awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation. By spreading the message ‘Donate life’ each day we take a step towards helping to cure and save more people and celebrate the generosity and sympathy of donors. Our thoughts should always be with those waiting for organs, but we should remember those who died because an organ couldn’t be found on time,” Zaev said.

Organ donation, he underlined, is one of the highest accomplishments of modern medicine. Health workers in North Macedonia have significant experience in the area.

“Last summer, when our health system was focused on managing the global pandemic brought on by COVID-19, top doctors and assisting medical staff united and performed the first heart transplant from a deceased donor. They banded together to perform a procedure which represents the height of cardiology and medicine and should encourage organ donors. There’s nothing more humane than extending someone’s life by donating an organ. The more we talk about this the more we encourage people to overcome fears and dilemmas over organ donation,” Zaev noted.

The Prime Minister expressed support via the video message for people on transplant waiting lists and thanked donors and their families for saving lives.