Page 627 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 9 March 2011
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MR HARGREAVES: Thank you for your protection, Madam Assistant Speaker; I appreciate it. And, Madam Assistant Speaker, talking about spleen, I shall move on to organ donations.
These people that I talked about donate organs such as their kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, pancreas and pancreatic islets. Many others become tissue donors and donate corneas, heart valves, skin, bone and other tissues. Some people donate both organs and tissue, helping another 10 recipients through their donation.
There is an ongoing need to dispel some myths around organ donation. Hospitals do not keep patients alive for the purposes of organ donation; a patient who is brain dead is already dead. Hospitals do not get paid for organ donations; the commonwealth government has recently initiated a hospital support funding system which reimburses a portion of the cost of caring for a potential donor whether or not the donation eventually occurs. Recent negative media coverage surrounding this issue incorrectly stated that hospitals were being paid to keep people “alive” for a donation. This misinformation leads to confusion in the community and distrust of the donation process.
Some people believe that doctors will not try hard enough to save them if they are registered as an organ donor. That is not true. Medical staff’s first duty is to save a life. Some people think they are too old to become a donor. I can tell you that we are never too old to become a donor. Anyone can donate organs and tissue. People in their 80s have saved much younger lives. You may not be the fittest individual, and your ticker and other internal bits over the years may have had a good work-out—again, this is speaking from experience—but this will not stop you being a donor. Apart from those with some medical conditions, there is every chance that some of your organs and tissues will be able to be used for donation.
Unfortunately, the organ donation rates in Australia remain low in comparison with other developed countries, and the demand is ever increasing. In response, the Australian government, in 2008, announced a four-year $151 million reform agenda for organ and tissue donation. This national reform package aims to establish Australia as a world leader in best practice organ and tissue donation and transplantation and to achieve a significant and lasting increase in the number of lifesaving and life-transforming events. I acknowledge that for transplant outcomes Australia currently has a world-class reputation.
The Organ and Tissue Authority was established on 1 January 2009 as part of the national reform package. The authority’s role is to establish, in partnership with the states, the territories, clinicians, consumers and the community, a nationally coordinated approach to organ and tissue donation for transplantation. The DonateLife network is the cornerstone of the reform agenda, comprising more than 300 health professionals focused on organ and tissue donation nationally. The aim is to ensure that donation is a routine part of end-of-life patient care and that every potential donor is identified and their families are asked respectfully and compassionately about donation.
Madam Assistant Speaker, you may not be aware that this year there have been 11 eye tissue donors in the ACT. These 11 donations are testament to the generosity of the
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