By mid-May, doctors in Bavaria had removed donor organs for sick people from 50 people after their death. According to the Bavarian Ministry of Health, this is five more than in the same period last year. However, there are currently around 1,200 people in the Free State waiting for vital donor organs – around 100 more than at the beginning of June 2023.
“Even if several organs can usually be donated per donor, this gap is very depressing,” said Health Minister Judith Gerlach. With a view to Organ Donation Day on Saturday, the CSU politician once again advocated a so-called opt-out solution when it comes to the question of who can have organs removed after death. “Everyone would automatically be an organ donor, but could actively object to this,” said Gerlach, who says she has an organ donor card. “If more citizens make a decision, that will also mean a relief for relatives.”
Currently, organ donors in Germany must actively consent to removal. This can be recorded in an organ donation card or online in the organ donation register, which has been available since March. The decision to remove an organ can also be recorded in a living will. In December, the federal states called on the federal government in a motion for a resolution to ensure that an opt-out solution is included in the Transplantation Act instead. A first attempt to do this in the Bundestag failed in 2020. The states see opportunities for the law to be passed in the now differently composed Bundestag. Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia therefore recently wanted to start a corresponding process with an initiative in the Bundesrat.