The government will publish a White Paper to regulate organ donations in the coming months, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne said.

He was speaking during a meeting with Lupus Support Group and Life Cycle Organisation.

Dr Fearne said the White Paper would lead to the first organ donation law in Malta. 

He said that this year 18 kidney transplants were successfully carried out in Malta (15 kidney transplants from cadaver donors and three from living donors).

The Parliamentary Secretary congratulated the staff for their efforts and remarked that the Renal Unit was currently caring for 250 patients. 65 patients visits this unit daily. So far this year over 17,000 sessions of renal replacement therapy have been done.

Dr Fearne called on the public to help the unit by donating blood and registering as organ donors.  The Renal Unit requires 2-3 units of blood daily.

Currently, there are 80-85 patients waiting for a kidney.