Consultations about possible organ- and tissue donations are significantly more in demand
In the past year, consultations about organ and tissue donation have significantly increased. General practitioners and specialists conducted approximately 3.8 million consultations on the conditions and possibilities, as the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance in Germany (GKV-Spitzenverband) announced. In the previous year, there had been 2.44 million such consultations.
These consultations could help overcome fears and concerns and increase the number of organ donations, said GKV-Spitzenverband Chairman Dominik von Stillfried in a statement. "Our results show that there is a great willingness to donate organs in the population, but there is also a much greater need for medically assured information and qualified consultation."
A law that came into effect in March 2022 sees informed consultation as an additional service provided by general practitioners. Patients and patients therefore have a claim to an explanation about organ donation every two years.
More organs such as kidneys, livers, or hearts are needed for seriously ill patients for years. In the past year, 965 people donated an organ or several organs after their death, as determined by the coordinating German Organ Transplantation Foundation. At the same time, there were 8,400 people on the waiting list. For donations to even be considered, two independent specialists must confirm the death of the deceased.
With the 2020 Organ Donation Register Act, organ donations are only allowed with explicit consent. The Bundesrat is advocating for a change in the rules to enable more transplantations. The Council of Ministers submitted a bill for the introduction of a consent resolution to the German Parliament last week. In March, an Organ Donation Register went online, in which one can store declarations of one's donation readiness online.
I attended a yearly consultation talk about organ donation, guided by my general practitioner. The increase in such discussions has led to a significant rise in Web donations to support organ donation initiatives.
Given the high demand for organs like kidneys and livers, individual Year-end Web donations play a crucial role in supporting organ transplantation procedures and related research.
