Media statement
For immediate release
Monday 22 September 2008

Support for organ donations not backed up by Govt

UnitedFuture deputy leader Judy Turner is pointing the finger squarely at the Government based on the result of today’s Stuff opinion poll, which indicates that 77% of over 7000 people surveyed, would happily donate their organs to others once they die.

“Up until August there had only been 14 organ donors come forward this year – the lowest number for the first seven months of any year to date,” said Mrs Turner.

“It is unacceptable that we are faced with a critically-low supply of organs at a time when there is overwhelming public support for organ donation.”

“It is hard to comprehend the Government’s failure to capitalise on this.”

“Labour must admit that the organ donor service and its strategy to promote organ donation is a total failure despite the whole heap of money that has been poured into it.”

“Changes have to be made to the circumstances that are necessary to enable an organ donation to be made. Labour has not delivered on its 2005 election promise of an organ donor register, meaning there is nowhere for an individual to record their consent to become a donor once they die.”

“Labour has also overseen a situation where the individual’s right to decide over the future of their organs is overruled by the need for family permission post-death, which can now be withheld on ‘spiritual, cultural and distress grounds’.”

“For the growing number of people sitting on the waiting list reliant on organ donations, the situation is critical, Labour should be held to account come election time,” said Mrs Turner.

ENDS

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