Thursday 14 January 2010
ORGAN DONATION: NSW MUST IMPROVE
Despite an increase in organ donation in NSW in 2009, we should be doing better when it comes to encouraging people to become organ donors, Deputy NSW Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Health Jillian Skinner said today.
Figures released by the Australian and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry show 69 people in NSW donated their organs to others in 2009, up from 57 in 2008.
“While the families of those patients choosing to donate their organs during difficult circumstances should be praised and supported, as a state, NSW should be doing more to encourage organ donation,” Mrs Skinner said.
“The leading state for organ donation is South Australia, with a rate more than double that of NSW,” she said.
State/Territory |
Donors per million of population |
South Australia |
20.3 |
ACT |
14.1 |
Victoria |
11.8 |
Queensland |
10.7 |
New South Wales |
10.0 |
Tasmania |
9.9 |
Northern Territory |
8.9 |
Western Australia |
8.5 |
(Source: The Australian and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry ANZOD – 2009 figures)
“The 69 organ donors in NSW enabled 215 transplant recipients to get the replacement organs they so desperately needed.
“Across Australia, there are still 1,770 patients waiting for organ transplants as of 4 January 2010.
“Families need to take the time to discuss each others wishes about organ and tissue donation because even if you are registered as a donor, next of kin will still be asked to give consent for organ donation to proceed.
“It is up to the State Government to lead the way on this issue, and unfortunately our current position is a reflection of how the current administration has neglected this issue,” Mrs Skinner said.