Spain breaks another record: 39 organ donors and 75 transplants in just 48 hours

A total of 46 hospitals in ten regions participated in this extraordinary programme. Of the 75 transplants performed, 49 were kidney, 14 liver, eight lung, two heart and one combined pancreas-kidney transplant

Medical team performing a transplant in a hospital in Andalucía. (ABC)

P. Biosca

15/05/2026 a las 12:57h.

Spain’s national transplant system has reached new heights, driven by the extraordinary generosity of the Spanish public.

Between Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 March, ... 39 donors - 34 deceased and five living - enabled 75 organ transplants to be performed in only 48 hours, according to the National Transplant Organisation (ONT).

This intensive operation saved or significantly improved the lives of dozens of patients. The feat required seamless coordination by the ONT, involving hundreds of healthcare professionals and logistical support teams across the country.

In total, 46 hospitals from ten regions collaborated in this extraordinary programme. Of the 75 transplants performed, 49 were kidney, 14 liver, eight lung, two heart and one combined pancreas-kidney transplant. Among the recipients were four patients included in the national transplant access plan for hyperimmunised patients (Pathi), aimed at people with special difficulties in finding immunological compatibility.

The communities involved in this activity were Andalucía, Aragon, Castile-La Mancha, Castile and Leon, Catalonia, Valencia, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid and Murcia.

The operation also required significant logistical coordination for the transfer of organs and medical equipment. For this purpose, five private aircraft were mobilised with operations at the airports of Badajoz, Barcelona, Madrid, Murcia, Valencia and Zaragoza.

Previous record

This volume of activity is only preceded by the record achieved on 17 April 2024, when 48 transplants were carried out in 24 hours from 19 deceased donors. The data once again consolidates the strength of the Spanish donation and transplantation model, which has been considered an international benchmark for more than three decades.

During 2025, Spain carried out 6,334 organ transplants, reaching a rate of 129 transplants per million inhabitants. These figures were made possible by the 2,547 people who donated organs after their death and another 408 who donated during their lifetime. The donation rate stood at 51.9 donors per million population, maintaining the country as a world leader in this field.

The ONT pointed out that each transplant is possible thanks to the generosity of donors and their families, as well as the commitment of the professionals involved in each process. However, they stressed that there are still more than 5,000 people on the waiting list to receive an organ in Spain.