Varadkar urges public to carry donor cards

Minister for Health Leo Varadkar urged people to carry a donor card and to have a conversation around the dinner table with their family as to whether they would like their organs donated in the event of their death.

Mr Varadkar was speaking at the launch of Organ Donor Awareness Week, which runs from Saturday March 28th to April 4th.

The campaign is organised by the Irish Kidney Association and volunteers will be distributing organ donor cards and selling 'forget-me-not' flower emblems throughout the country.

“What can happen out of tragedy is the gift of life… 251 people had transplants this year and we’d like to see that increase in years to come,” said Mr Varadkar.

The 251 transplants were performed using organs from 63 deceased donors and 40 living donors.

2014 was a record year for paediatric kidney transplants with a total of 19 children receiving kidney transplants. Sixteen children are now receiving dialysis treatment, 11 less than a year ago.

However, at the end of 2014 there were 74 more adults on dialysis than a year earlier reflecting the poor kidney transplanting figures of 2014 because of the low number of deceased organ donors.

Mr Varadkar said additional funding of almost € 3 million had been provided to the HSE’s Organ Donation and Transplant office and the reconfigured National Organ Procurement Service would be fully operational next month.

“We need to change our cultural attitude to organ donation, both at an individual level and an organisational level. My department is developing proposals for an opt-out system of consent for organ donation, which should help to make a difference, and I anticipate the Heads of the Human Tissue Bill to be published before the end of the year,” said Mr Varadkar.

“I foresee a time where organ donation becomes the norm when people pass away in circumstances in which donation is a possibility. The appointment of key donation personnel in each of the six hospital groups will be a very important step towards achieving this goal.”

The chief executive of the Irish Kidney Association, Mark Murphy, said fostering greater links with Northern Ireland would improve organ donation rates and represent a win win situation for people on both sides of the border

He said an all Ireland partnership would offer scientific, geographical and financial advantages while increasing the number of transplants carried out.

“I believe the all Ireland rates of organ transplantation could be greatly enhanced especially for hearts, lungs and liver. All the North’s heart, lungs and liver patients are required to travel to the UK for their transplant operations. The shorter the time an organ is outside a body the greater the potential there is for its transplant success and longevity.

“Our access to the UK for complex kidney transplants and the paired kidney exchange programme could be conducted in Belfast instead of Coventry,” he said.

Consultant transplant surgeon Tim Brown, who has been performing transplants in Beaumont Hospital during annual leave from his position in Belfast City Hospital, said an awful lot could be gained from the transplant systems in both jurisdictions working together.

“A corridor between the two transplant zones can only benefit patients first and foremost, and education, training and service provision could only be enhanced ,” he said.

Mr Brown said the Republic had a world class transplant service that had the potential to be the best in the world.

Organ Donor Cards can be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association LoCall 1890 543639 or Freetext the word DONOR to 50050. Alternatively visit the association's website.