WCTF Argentina
WCTF
formed its first center, FMTN (Fondo Mundial de Transplantes Para
Ninos) Buenos Aires, Argentina, in January 1990.
FMTN was the operating entity of WCTF in
Argentina. At that time, organ transplantation was new to the
country, and pediatric organ transplantation was only just
beginning.
From the period of 1990 to 1996, FMTN, and its
Executive Director, Cristina Palmero:
- coordinated training programs abroad for
physicians from
Argentina;
- raised public awareness of organ
transplantation via newspaper, television and radio, while
encouraging organ donation;
- placed organ transplantation high on the
country's legislative agenda;
- brought visibility of pediatric organ
transplantation to the Argentine legislature;
- procured needed medical equipment for
effective pediatric transplant surgery;
- raised money for support and care of families
traveling to Buenos Aires whose children required transplant
surgery; and
- raised the visibility of pediatric organ
transplantation, such that it was taken up as a public cause.
In the mid 1990s pediatric organ transplantation
became mainstream in Argentina, with state-of-the-art facilities and
physician training, much to the credit of FMTN who brought organ
transplantation to the forefront of public policy discussions.
In fact, during that time period, legislation
passed requiring all medical insurers to cover transplantation
procedures, thus relieving the historic financial burden taken on by
families of transplant patients.
Argentina is now capable of performing all major
types of life-saving pediatric organ transplantation, and does so
with the active support of the government, public and private health
care providers, and insurers.
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