Lawmakers Pursue Opt-Out System for Organ Donation as Alternative Approach
Medical official Sabine Dittmar highlighted the troubling fact that over 8,000 individuals are on the organ donor waitlist, with many awaiting transplants for years, sometimes in vain. Sadly, three people pass away daily on this list. The number of transplants has been stuck at a low rate for years. A legal challenge process could boost the number of donor organs, potentially saving numerous lives.
As per the existing laws, only a living individual who has given written consent can be an organ donor. The controversial opt-out method, supported by the Bundestag in 2020, didn't receive a majority vote for a more comprehensive challenge system. The passed law aimed to motivate more voluntary donors through simplified organ donor registry access and citizen information during registration office visits.
Unfortunately, these measures haven't produced the desired results, stated CDU parliamentarian Gitta Connemann during the model's unveiling: "We've observed that these measures have failed." Hence, it's essential to mandate a "active declaration of objection" from those unwilling to donate organs. "This is a decision an adult, capable person should be expected to make."
Connemann emphasized the significant disparity between the nation's general willingness for organ donation and the actual number of donations: "It's disheartening because we know from surveys that 84 percent of people in this country support organ donation, but only about 40 percent make this decision official."
The individuals behind the proposal plan to initiate a legislative process in the Bundestag, aiming for a legislative decision in the spring of 2025. In the initial stage, all adults aged 18 and over would receive written notice from the Federal Health Education Centre about the new regulation. The shift from opt-out to opt-in method is expected to occur between 2027 and 2028.
