Sinn Féin delivers on organ donation awareness - McLaughlin

Sinn Féin MLA and Health spokesperson Maeve McLaughlin has welcomed the adoption of two amendments aimed at helping to raise awareness of organ donation and to monitor transplants with the aim of increasing them.

Speaking today Ms McLaughlin said:

“There has been much debate on the need to promote organ donation and human transplantation. 

“During the recently withdrawn transplant bill there was unity on the need to promote organ donation.

“Sinn Féin have brought forward the best parts of this bill in order to ensure there is a duty placed on the department of health to promote and raise public awareness on organ donation.

“There is overwhelming support for the duty on the Department to promote organ donation by way of a public awareness campaign, the general view being that this would result in increased donation rates.

“We also wish to see a mechanism established that requires the annual reporting by the Department on transplants. This would include that every five years the Department must indicate how effective this has been in promoting transplantation activities and any potential ways in which the law can be amended to increase transplantation.

“It is clear we need to improve donor levels and transplantation rates and commitment to this legislation will now to achieve what campaigners have called for.”