Organ donor rates plummet
***Media Release***
GiveLife NZ
4 September
2008
Organ donor rates plummet
Figures
released today show New Zealand's organ donor rates are
plummeting whilst other countries are reporting a rise in
donors.
The number of donors to the end of August
was just seventeen, one of the lowest figures this
century.
"If this trend continues until the end of
the year then we will have around 6 donors per million of
population. In comparison Spain has 36 donors per million of
population." Said GiveLife Spokesman Andy
Tookey.
"I have asked the Minister of Health what
happened to the half a million dollars, triple the amount of
annual funding and the doubling of staff at the organ donor
service if this is the end result of that
expenditure?"
"This is a serious situation. Many
people are dying or suffering unnecessarily due to
government inaction."
Recently Australia announced
a $130 Million campaign on organ donation and last week
Canada announced a $35 million campaign to boost organ donor
rates.
Last month New Zealand's Associate Minister
of Health, Mita Ririnui announced that no money had been
spent in the past ten years on organ donation awareness and
they had no plans to do so in the
futrure.
***ENDS***