During the late 1980’s and the 90’s Catalonia’s role in the world of transplant acquired strength both inside and outside our boundaries.
The creation of the Catalan Trasplantation Society and the Catalan Trasplantation Fundation gave a unifying identity to a group of professionals who had been working for a common goal and which gave them the necessary means to publicise their scientific activity and to promote transplant and organ donation.
The Catalan Trasplantation Society (SCT) was founded as part of the Academia de Ciencias Médicas y de la Salud de Cataluña y Baleares (Academy of Medical Sciences and Health of Catalonia and the Balearics) in 1984, thanks to the initiative of Dr. Antonio Caralps and Dr. Josep Maria Grinyó, both of the Nephrology Service at the Hospital de Bellvitge.
Both doctors had the unconditional support of Dr. Jeroni Alsina, who was then leading the Service, and of a group of transplant specialists from other centres who strongly supported the project.
The aims were to create a society which integrated all the professionals interested in organ and tissue transplant in Catalonia, to become the promotional voice for the development of scientific and academic activities related to transplant, to encourage co-operation with other national and international societies, as well as to advise public organisations and private societies regarding transplantation.
The first president of the SCT was Dr. Caralps. The members of the Council were Josep Maria Grinyó (Secretary), Albert Brulles, Carles Margarit and Jaume Martorell. At the end of the 80’s Dr. Caralps was succeeded by Dr. Jeroni Alsina as President of the SCT, who was also vice-president of the Sociedad Española de Nefrología (Spanish Society of Nephrology), which facilitated relations between the Catalan transplantation specialists and those from the rest of Spain.
The first congress was held in 1985 with the international participation of Dr. Kreis and Dr. Opelz, which was very successful and consolidated the Society. Since 1991 a congress has been held on a biannual basis.