New EU standards on organ donations will help save lives (11/12/08)
December 11, 2008 at 8:34 pm Leave a comment
New legislation to improve the safety and quality of organ donation in Europe has been put forward by the European Commission. MEPs and member states are being asked to vote on a directive which will require every EU country to set up a national authority to oversee compliance with international standards.
It comes as welcome news to approximately 600 people in Ireland currently on the waiting list for an organ transplant. Across the EU, there are about 56 thousand people waiting for a suitable donor for a heart, lung, kidney, liver, eye, pancreas or skin graft. On average, twelve of these people die every day while waiting for transplants. The goal of the draft law is to increase the availability of organs and make transplant systems more efficient and accessible across the EU.
The draft law includes a six-year action plan to run from 2009 to 2015. It outlines ten ways to improve coordination between EU countries on organ donation, such as pooling experience on organ donor schemes. Munster MEP Colm Burke has urged his colleagues in Brussels to fast track the scheme. The Fine Gael MEP said, ‘Unfortunately Irish waiting lists are unacceptably long, so we need to work closely with our European partners to exchange best practices and increase the number of available organs. For instance, we need to look to our colleagues in Spain, where there is a law of presumed consent for organ donation. This has resulted in a considerable increase in organs donated, shortened waiting lists and saved lives.’
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