The Nationals’ Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad has called on the State Government to act on a report to increase organ donation rates and allow Victorians to register on the Australian Organ Donor Register when applying for or renewing a driver licence.
“In March this year the Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues Committee released their report about increasing the number of organ and tissue donors in Victoria,” Ms Broad told Parliament.
“The report makes recommendations to increase the donation rate, including the option of registering as an organ donor when renewing a driver’s licence; increasing promotion of the organ donor register; and increasing the number of organ and tissue donation specialists within healthcare services.
“The inquiry also highlighted some of the barriers preventing organ and tissue donation, especially in regional areas, and the need to increase the amount of donor specialists and ensure that hospitals have suitable facilities to carry out a transplant.”
Ms Broad said her Nationals colleague Dr Anne Webster, Member for Mallee, had advocated for change at the federal level – encouraging all states to record donor status on driver’s licences.
“Currently South Australia is the only state to have registration linked to driver’s licences. They have 73 per cent of their population aged 16 and over registered on the Australian Organ Donor Register and consistently have one of the highest consent and donation rates in Australia.
“In New South Wales 41 per cent are registered, and Victoria is well below that at just 23 per cent.”
There are currently around 1800 Australians on a waitlist for organ transplant and around 14,000 more people on dialysis, many who would benefit from a kidney transplant.
“I have known people who have been waiting for years on dialysis, but I also know someone who has benefited from an organ transplant,” Ms Broad said.
“It has been eight months since the committee’s report was tabled, and I ask the minister to take action, to adopt the recommendations of the committee report, and to enable donor registration through driver’s licences.
“It will help save lives and give hope to those waiting for an organ transplant.”
To read the report visit:
Register and talk about it: Inquiry into increasing the number of registered organ and tissue donors
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764, 4436 4777 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au
