Monday, 1 February 2010

Organ donor fiasco !

It is amazing that Australia has one of the worst organ transplant availability records in the world - and yet there seems no shortage of willing donors.

The problem is a timid government which insists on " second guessing " the wishes of those who have indicated this choice - and have added their name to donor lists.

The government blames the donor willing people for not discussing the matter with their families, and yet in many cases it seems that the families knowingly go against their loved ones wishes because this decision comes at a time of great emotional stress.

It is also unclear just who within the donor's family has the right of veto, but in practice it seems that even if the rejection comes from a distant relative the donation will not proceed.

It is about time the government bit the bullet and decided to honour the wishes of those who have chosen to become organ donors. Surely the donation of an organ that may save another's life should be at the discretion of that organ's owner - not a decision made by another person !

The logical way to end this fiasco is to include a referendum at the next general election - and if the majority agree - an organ donor's wish would be the deciding factor !

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