Abstract
In 2005, Colombia performed 16.5% of its organ transplants in foreign patients. The total of organs transplanted was 756, out of them, 124 in foreigners. The numbers by organ were: Kidney (598 citizens/95 foreign), Liver (115/22), Heart (37/3) and Lung (6/4). Colombia changed its policy, and created the Transplant Network Organization a subdivision of the National Health Institute (INS). According to the new legal framework, each program must ask to the INS for a written permission to transplant a foreign patient, and the INS should demonstrate that there is not a suitable Colombian receptor for that specific organ.
Otherwise the health system increases the waiting list for each organ and set the network to share organs for one region to another. Several laws, executive orders and a declaration of the Council of State were made in these years to apply the law to the clinical practice. Over the last years the number of foreign patients transplanted in Colombia decreased and by 2012 it represents less than 0.27% out of the total of organs transplanted. This number is favorable compared with same percentages for other countries.
Keywords
Organ trafficking, transplant tourism, transplants in foreigners, transplants in South America, transplants in Colombia.