Doctor raises transplant law concerns

By John Miner, Free Press Health Reporter

February 19, 2006

The public isn't ready for a law that would allow doctors to harvest organs for transplantation unless a patient had made it clear they objected, says William Wall, director of the multi-organ transplant program at London Health Sciences Centre.

NDP MPP Peter Kormos introduced a private member's bill last week that would put the onus on people who don't want to donate their organs to opt out.

Otherwise, if their wishes were not known, there would be "presumed consent" and their organs could be transplanted.

Wall said he could support such a measure if it was properly implemented and there was enough public education.

"I don't think the general public is ready for it," said Wall, suggesting that other measures could be considered to boost organ donation.

Kormos said his law would save lives. He noted the 414 Canadians who died last year waiting for organ donations and the 4,004 people on the waiting list.

"The organ donation crisis is a matter of life and death. No Ontario citizen should languish on waiting lists and no family should have to watch a loved one die when we can take positive action now to shorten the waits and make more organs available for transplants," said Kormos.

But some have suggested Kormos's idea could violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and could face court challenges.

London and Ottawa have relatively high donation rates, double the rate in Toronto, Wall said.

"Clearly there are other factors," he said. Wall attributed part of the difference to information campaigns.

Copyright © 2006 Canoe Inc.

This article posted March 9, 2006.