In the year and three months that have passed since the official start of the Ministry of Health's campaign aimed at raising awareness about the importance of organ donation, 162 citizens have signed donor cards with their chosen doctors.
According to data provided to "Vijesti" by the Ministry of Health, not a single donor card has been issued in Kolašin, Mojkovac, Berane and Rožaje.
The greatest interest in organ donation after death was recorded in Podgorica, where 59 donor cards were issued. This was followed by Cetinje, where 20 citizens signed the card.
In Nikšić, 17 donor cards were issued, in Herceg Novi 15, in Bar ten, while in Tivat and Bijelo Polje eight were recorded each. In Plav, four citizens signed donor cards, while in Ulcinj and Pljevlja three were issued each.
One resident of Budva and one resident of Andrijevica each visited their chosen doctor to express their consent to organ donation after death during their lifetime and sign a donor card.
The Ministry of Health responded that during 2025, they conducted, in their assessment, a comprehensive media campaign aimed at informing and educating citizens about the importance of organ donation.
The effects of the campaign, they claim, are also reflected in "a significant increase in the number of donor cards issued."
"Accordingly, before the start of the campaign, only 10 donor cards were issued, while today that number is 162. This growth represents an important indicator of changing citizen awareness and confirmation that continuous public information can significantly contribute to the development of the culture of organ donation in Montenegro," they assessed.
The department says that in the coming period, they will continue with activities aimed at raising awareness among citizens about the importance of organ donation, as well as creating conditions for further improving the transplantation program.
The immediate family has the final say.
The Law on the Removal and Transplantation of Human Organs for Medical Purposes, which was adopted by the Parliament in June 2025, stipulates that every adult and legally capable citizen can sign a donor card with a doctor of their choice. This consent can be revoked at any time. However, regardless of whether or not the deceased person signed a donor card during their lifetime, the hospital coordinator is obliged to contact the immediate family, who have the right to confirm or refuse consent.
Four months ago, and after eight years, the third cadaveric transplant from a deceased donor was performed at the Clinical Center of Montenegro (KCCG) in cooperation with the international organization Eurotransplant. The donor's heart was transported to Croatia, while the liver and both kidneys were allocated to centers in Germany.
In the first explantation, in December 2013, immediately after Montenegro joined Eurotransplant, kidneys were allocated to patients at the KCCG, while the heart and liver were transported to Ljubljana and Zagreb. In the second, in September 2018, five organs were explanted - the heart, lungs, liver and both kidneys.
Since 2018, Montenegro has signed an allocation agreement with Eurotransplant, an international organ exchange network that brings together Germany, Austria, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Croatia, Slovenia and Belgium.
When asked about the status of the contract, the Ministry of Health told "Vijesti" that after the successful organ explantation, which was carried out on April 9 at the KCCG in coordination with the Eurotransplant teams, the organs were allocated and transplanted in the Eurotransplant member states.
"This event represents an important confirmation of the readiness of the Montenegrin healthcare system to continue and improve cooperation with Eurotransplant. In each subsequent case when a cadaveric donor is identified, organs will be allocated in accordance with the established principles of allocation and reciprocity of Eurotransplant," the department explained.
The organ is waiting for five children
There are 107 patients on the waiting list for organ transplantation in Montenegro today. The Ministry of Health explained that 70 adult patients are waiting for a kidney transplant. There are 14 adult patients each waiting for a liver and lung transplant. According to the Ministry, there are four adult citizens on the waiting list for a heart transplant.
"When it comes to children, there are currently three patients on the waiting list for kidney transplants," the response reads.
Two children are awaiting liver transplantation and retransplantation.
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