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HISTORY OF THE BUREAU
The Lithuanian National Transplantation Bureau (NTB) was established in 1996. Originally it was called the National Bureau on Organ Transplantation. The decision was taken by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania, having considered the state of development of transplantation services in the country. The NTB was created with the main aims of fostering further development and ensuring universal accessibility of transplantation services, most optimal and effective distribution of transplantable organs and tissues, and protection of rights of donors as well as recipients.
Since its establishment, the NTB was led by:
· Mr. Gintaras Rasimavicius (MD) - Director between 1996-1999;
· Mrs. Asta Kubiliene (MD) - present Director, serving since 2000.
Important milestones:
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2000 - the NTB establishes the national Register of Donors and Recipients for Human Organs, Tissues and Cells. This register is used for maintaining records of persons who have stated acceptance or refusal of post mortem donation of their organs and/or tissues. The Register is also used to maintain the database of recipients, potential donors and effective donors. A special personal Donor Card is also created, to be carried by people as reference to their listing in the register;
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2001 - on behalf of the Ministry of Health, NTB signs an agreement with the Ministry of Defence giving access to using military helicopters for transportation of donated organs;
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2002 - on the initiative of NTB, the Balttransplant association is created, linking transplant coordination centres in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania;
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2004 - Lithuania is among 15 European countries who together with the representatives of the European Commission and World Health Organisation sign the Prague Declaration. This declaration provided for improved international cooperation in the field of organ donation and transplantation through the establishment of the European Transplant Network. Also in accordance with the terms of this agreement, several NTB specialists improve their skills at international development courses every year;
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2006 - NTB signs a cooperation agreement with the Polish transplant coordination centre Poltransplant;
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2007 - NTB publishes a first issue of its periodic newsletter “Transplantacija“. It is used to inform the medical community as well as patients about NTB’s work, various news and status of transplantation activities, etc;
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2007 - as one of the measures of national implementation of the Directive 2004/23/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (on setting standards of quality and safety for the donation, procurement, testing, processing, preservation, storage and distribution of human tissues and cells) the Lithuanian Ministry of Health assigns NTB to act as Competent Authority in the field of donation and transplantation of human tissues and cells. Since then the Bureau changed its name from the original “National Bureau on Organ Transplantation“ to current more generic “National Transplantation Bureau“.
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