The Bavarian patient and care representative, Thomas Zöller (Free Voters), promotes the German organ donation register. The online portal, which will be activated on Monday (March 18), will enable everyone to record their personal decision for or against organ and tissue donation, said the representative of the Bavarian state government in a statement on Friday. Dealing with the topic is important: “Organ donation saves lives – including your own life under certain circumstances,” said Zöller. Only those who are well informed can make a decision for themselves more easily.
Entry in the central electronic directory is “absolutely voluntary and free of charge, but legally binding,” emphasized the patient representative. Entries could be changed or revoked at any time. Organ donor cards or living wills on paper remained valid despite the register. Until the organ donation register is fully established at the beginning of 2025, it makes sense to continue using these documents, said Zöller.
According to the German Organ Transplantation Foundation (DSO), there were a total of 126 postmortem organ donors in Bavaria in 2023. At the same time, 1,200 people are waiting for a donor organ. The organ donation register is managed by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) and will be launched on March 18th.