(Quebec) The National Assembly will examine the possibility of establishing presumed consent to organ donation, that is to say that instead of signing your health insurance card to consent, you should instead do so to refuse.
On this World Organ Donation and Transplant Day, the National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion to hold a parliamentary commission to facilitate organ donation in Quebec. The initiative, which was first brought forward by Liberal MP André Fortin, has become a transpartisan approach. Elected officials from all political parties affirmed on Tuesday their desire to improve access to organ donation.
“I feel with joy the momentum to have a real discussion [sur la question] », rejoiced the MP for Pontiac and spokesperson for the official opposition on health. Mr. Fortin has tabled two bills over the past five years aimed at establishing the presumption of consent for organ and tissue donation. At the start of his second term, Minister Christian Dubé expressed his intention to follow through.
It is the Minister for Health, Sonia Bélanger, who will lead the file on the government’s side. Like the work on expanding medical assistance in dying, parliamentarians will lead a transpartisan approach. Means to facilitate and increase organ donation in Quebec will be studied in a parliamentary committee where groups will come and express themselves.
These consultations will be used to develop a bill that can be adopted by the end of the previous mandate. Minister Bélanger also made a commitment on Tuesday. “You have to take the time to carefully examine all the elements. I hope this commission will be set up as quickly as possible. I’m confident […] that we can have a bill within six months,” she said.
For me, it is clear that [l’adoption du projet de loi] is within the framework of this mandate […] We really have what it takes to go further.
Sonia Bélanger, Minister for Health
Towards the presumption of consent
Among the measures that will be studied to facilitate access to organ donation, parliamentarians want to put forward the notion of the presumption of consent. Currently, you must sign the sticker on the back of the health insurance card to consent to organ and tissue donation. The proposal from the member for Pontiac is to reverse the situation and therefore sign the sticker to refuse the donation.
According to him, Quebecers are ready for this change. “It’s a controversial request if we don’t talk about it. If we don’t have the social discussion we need to have. From my experience, after having tabled two bills on this issue, I was surprised by the number of Quebecers who were open to the idea, who tell us that society is ready for that,” argued Mr. . Fortin.
Nova Scotia also adopted a similar policy in January 2021, noted the MP.
Two years ago, Transplant Québec organized the International and Quebec Forum on legislation and policies relating to donation and transplantation in which organizations from 35 countries participated.
Elected officials from the four parties represented in the National Assembly then committed to “undertaking a non-partisan dialogue oriented towards the search for solutions regarding the reform of organ and tissue donation, a dialogue which will make it possible to engage all Quebecers. »
Currently, some 913 people are waiting for an organ donation that could allow them to hope for an active and productive life in Quebec.