Organ and tissue donation continues to be on the rise in a good sign for Australia and while over six million citizens are registered to donate there is still plenty more to be done.
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Last years figures of 510 deceased donors nationally is up by over 200 on 2015, while NSW also recorded a record high of 133 donors, while tissue donation was also up for the fifth year running.
Typically organ donations come out of large city centres as only one in 100 deaths occur in situations where organ donation is viable, and generally those patients are either air lifted or taken to a major hospital for treatment first.
Last year however a record 35 per cent of NSW donors came out of non-metropolitan hospitals, such as Tamworth, and that is why local advocate and donor heart recipient Leonnee Pinchen-Martin is about to apply for a grant to improve advocacy and awareness in Tamworth.
Mrs Pinchen-Martin believes that education is the key to improving the issue and would like to see more Donation Specialist Nurses (DSN) stationed all over the country, including Tamworth, who lost funding for the position some years ago, and that is why she is against the opt out argument.
Currently in Australia recipients have to opt in and sign the register to become a donor, while some other countries have opt out legislation, where everyone is a potential donor unless they register to not be,
It is important to note that in Australia and in most opt out nations the final say still falls on the immediate family or next of kin.
“That debate needs to stop in Australia because we don’t have the capacity in our hospitals for an opt out system,” Mrs Pinchen-Martin said.
“Forcing people will only put pressure on the system and can have a negative impact on donations. There does need to be an increase in donations but the system is working and the numbers are getting better.”
The NSW Organ and Tissue Donation Service also confirmed that they believe the current system is still the best way forward.
“The national reform agenda currently provides a range of clinical and community based initiatives. At present this does not include an opt out policy but instead focuses on altruistic decision making implemented via the Australian Organ Donor Register,” a spokesperson said.
“We know that in 9 out of 10 cases, organ donation proceeds where the deceased was a registered donor and the family knew their loved ones decision.”
To register as a donor or for more information visit www.donatelife.gov.au
