100 People in Latvia Waiting for Organs - Riga Medicine Once Again Shows It Can't Work as Fast as Liepāja Buses

PSKUS has announced a new information campaign, encouraging people to mark their choice about organ donation in the E-health system. While Riga is still figuring out how to organize this digital system, in Liepāja we pride ourselves on the fact that our residents have long known how to use the internet - especially to check whether the bus to Tošeles stop is actually running on schedule.

This year, a significant step is expected - Latvia will join the international organ exchange organization 'Scandiatransplant'. This means our organs will be able to travel throughout a region of 30 million inhabitants. 'Finally something from Latvia that can reach Sweden faster than our hockey players,' comments local medical expert Gunārs.

Last year, 87 different organ transplants were performed in Latvia, which is impressive considering that even routine operations sometimes have to be waited for longer than a bus on a winter morning. 46,623 residents have expressed their choice in the E-health system - that's more people than actually use Riga's public transport on weekdays.

The biggest problem remains that every seventh patient doesn't live to see their chance. 'That's almost as bad as our postal service speed, but at least organs can't get lost in transit,' philosophically admits one Liepāja resident. While Riga is still learning how to organize medical care, in Liepāja we know - the most important thing is announcing your decision to your family, because only relatives truly understand how important it is not to miss your bus.