Organ donation

Stuff reports:

New Zealand’s dismal organ donation rate is the focus of three new schemes from the Government.

Figures released last year showed New Zealand had the lowest rate in the Western world aside from Greece.

Last year 186 patients received transplants.

But Health Minister Tony Ryall said many people were waiting for organs, including 600 in need of kidney replacements.

In Dunedin yesterday he announced $4 million over four years would be directed at boosting donations.

Half of that would go into training for intensive care staff to identify dying patients who might be candidates and give support to their families.

Another $1.75m was aimed at raising the number of ‘live’ donations by employing dedicated staff to guide patients and their families through the decision.

A further $250,000 will pay for a pilot “exchange scheme” to “mix and match” donor and recipient pairs.

That’s all very good, and sensible. But the Government should go further.

The law should be changed so that organs can be taken from a deceased person who has agreed to be an organ donor, without family agreement. The decision of the individual donor should not be able to be over-turned by family members.