On August 2 in Minsk, the first kidney transplantation funded by the Montenegrin government was carried out.

Until now, the Health Insurance Fund has not covered the expenses for transplantation in Belarus, meaning patients had to bear the cost themselves, which was around 70 thousand euros.

“This is a monumental day and a significant victory for us all. Thank you to everyone who has fought to enhance our lives,” said Sanja Sanji, expressing her courage for a new life.

Currently, there are 57 individuals in Montenegro awaiting a kidney transplant.

After evaluation at the Clinical Center of Montenegro, patients will be referred to Minsk for further examinations. If deemed eligible, they will be placed on a waiting list that could range from 6 to 8 months, and in some cases, up to two years.

“It remains uncertain whether everyone evaluated will receive a transplant. Many of us are quite ill and relying on dialysis; we have suffered enough, and for transplantation to be successful, one must be in relatively good health,” stated Tanja Stanojevic from the association.

Sreten Jakic, State Secretary in the Ministry of Health, mentioned that all necessary legal norms have been established for citizens to access their constitutionally guaranteed right to a quality life.

“Five individuals from Montenegro will undergo transplants this year, depending on their condition and the assessments made by my colleagues.”

Since 2019, approximately 23 patients from Montenegro have undergone kidney transplants at the Belarusian Center.

Irena Chabarkapa is one of them. She underwent a transplantation at her own expense four months ago and stated, “Today I feel great.”

“I have been on dialysis for 11 years. I gathered the funds, and I am grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to live and realize my dream. I won’t wait long for a healthy transplant. Dialysis is torture; it’s immense suffering.”

It is worth noting that Montenegro had no medical cooperation with Belarus until recently. Additionally, in 2021, following European Union sanctions, Belarus implemented restrictions.

According to the law on organ donation, all citizens experiencing brain death are considered donors, unless they or their spouses explicitly opt out during their lifetime.

In the region, aside from Montenegro, only the Bosnian entity of Republika Srpska has collaborated with the Center for Surgery, Transplantology, and Hematology from Minsk since February of this year.

Montenegro has been part of Eurotransplant, the leading international organization for organ transplantation, since 2018. However, only two transplants have been carried out since then, as cooperation with this organization relies on reciprocity or organ exchange.

Montenegro is a signatory to the Council of Europe Convention on Combating Human Trafficking and the Istanbul Convention on Preventing Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism.

Due to potential abuses, the Council of Europe has established a monitoring platform for organ transplantation travel to other countries. Montenegro is a participant in this platform.

To date, those with living organ donors in Montenegro have only been sent to Turkey.