Don’t take them with you mate, please!

Heaven knows, we really do need them here. From February 17th to the 24th Queenslanders Donate are celebrating Australian Organ Donor Awareness Week.
This celebration is their annual campaign to raise awareness of organ donation and to encourage people to register with the Australian Organ Donor Register.

Organ donors can save lives. Organ and tissue transplantations can help the many Australians who are suffering life threatening illnesses, including heart, kidney and liver diseases, diabetes and cystic fibrosis. There were 218 organ donors in Australia in 2004, while there are nearly 2000 Australians waiting for an organ transplant at any time. Sadly, many of these people may die waiting for a transplant.

Last month, Australian health ministers changed the Australian Organ Donor Register to a register of consent, rather than intent. This means that when a person has registered their consent through the Australian Organ Donor Register, clinicians will no longer need to seek the consent of the person’s family.

The Health Insurance Commission has useful information on the Australian Organ Donor Register.

The Australian Department of Health and Ageing releases media statements encouraging all Australians to register.

HealthInsite has a topic page on Organ Donation where you can find other useful information. (please note the dates on this site may not have been renewed. This is an annual event)

Queensland Health Events Calendar 2007-08 is a great way to catch up with some of Queensland Health's important events.

Are your kidneys ok? Do you know, 63% of all organ transplants are kidney related? Watch out for more about this tomorrow.

Sue Bayliss. Cairns, Australia.