During 2025, the state registered a decrease in the number of voluntary organ and tissue donors, although the figures remain within similar ranges to previous years, reported Néstor Lechuga García, director of the State Transplant Center at the Zacatecas General Hospital.
The specialist explained that in previous years, between 100 and 140 voluntary donor registrations had been recorded; however, in 2025 the figure was less than 100, with approximately 96 people registered.
“Zacatecas remains within the same range, but we need to raise awareness. Donation doesn’t begin in the hospital; it begins at home, by talking with family,” he emphasized.
Regarding completed donations, 20 were performed in the state during 2025. Most of these were due to cardiac arrest, which allowed for the procurement of tissues such as corneas and musculoskeletal tissue. Five cases (a quarter of the total) involved individuals with brain death, which made organ and tissue donation possible.
So far in 2026, donations have been registered, at least one from a brain-dead donor, in addition to cases of cardiac arrest. Lechuga García pointed out that, although death is celebrated in Mexico through traditions like the Day of the Dead, the topic remains uncomfortable within families.
“We can celebrate it, but we don’t sit down and talk about what we want to happen when we’re gone. And that’s the moment when the decision to donate or not is made,” he commented.
He clarified that the topic is currently being discussed more openly, especially among young people, but insisted that it is essential to express the wish to donate while alive and for the family to respect it.
The director explained that the kidney is the organ with the highest demand, while the cornea is the most requested tissue. In 2025 alone, 15 cornea transplants were performed in the state, significantly reducing the waiting list, which at one point included nine patients.
He explained that organ allocation doesn’t operate like a traditional queue, but rather through a national registry managed by the National Transplant Center. This registry evaluates medical criteria, compatibility, and the patient’s severity, decisions that are then reviewed by internal committees at each authorized hospital.
In Zacatecas, the kidney transplant program primarily uses living donors. Currently, there are between 10 and 12 people on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, although being under evaluation doesn’t guarantee the procedure will be performed, as strict medical criteria must be met.
Lechuga García warned that the increase in diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity—the main risk factors for kidney disease—is increasing the need for transplants, particularly kidney transplants.
“We are more likely to be on a waiting list than to be donors. That’s why we must strengthen both prevention and a culture of donation,” he stated.
During 2025, mobile units were set up in hospitals to register volunteer donors, along with informational campaigns on the Ministry of Health’s social media and academic activities. This year, the goal is to repeat these actions and measure their impact.
Finally, the specialist invited anyone with questions to visit the Hospital Coordination for Donation and Transplantation at the Zacatecas General Hospital, as well as other hospitals with this department, such as the IMSS General Hospital Zone No. 1 and the Fresnillo General Hospital.
“Donation is an altruistic act that allows us to transcend by giving life and quality of life to others. As a society, we can do much more,” he concluded.
Source: meganoticias
