It was decided four years ago – now it’s supposed to come on March 18th: a central organ donation register. Declarations of willingness to donate should be collected there.
According to Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, the planned organ donation register should go online in mid-March. “The digital organ donation register will finally be launched on March 18th,” said the SPD politician to the Rheinische Post.
It will not immediately solve the organ donation shortage, but it is an important step forward. “The registration is completely voluntary, but helps the clinics to act more quickly,” said Lauterbach.
The central register for organ donation declarations should mean more legal certainty for all parties and improve the flow of information with the clinics in order to increase the number of donations.
Lack of donor organs in Germany
The introduction of the register had been delayed several times – it was decided in 2020. Declarations of willingness to donate organs should be stored online in the register. All citizens should be addressed directly about the issue at least every ten years.
According to the German Organ Transplantation Foundation, Germany is at the bottom of the international comparison when it comes to organ donation. There is a significant shortage of donor organs. In mid-January, around 8,400 people nationwide were waiting for one or more organs. Last year, 965 people donated one or more organs after their death, 96 more than the year before.
Lauterbach promotes contradiction solution
Lauterbach again spoke out in favor of the contradictory solution to organ donation. Basically, this is the only way to really remedy the deficiency. “I hope that another motion from parliament will be discussed in the Bundestag during this legislative period. If that happens, I will of course support a motion to resolve the objection.”
In the case of an objection solution, all citizens would be potential organ donors unless they expressly objected. A corresponding demand for reform failed in the Bundestag in 2020. In Germany, the current rule is that a person can only donate organs if they have given their express consent during their lifetime.