The government will study presumed consent for organ donation during a parliamentary committee.
“There will be a parliamentary commission which will be responsible for examining all of the processes related to organ donation and transplantation, whether prevention, awareness, staff training, collaborative work with Québec Transplant then, of course, the whole aspect of consent,” said the Minister responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, in a transpartisan press briefing which brought together representatives of the three opposition parties.
A motion from the Liberal MP for Pontiac, André Fortin, to request a consultation on the subject was unanimously adopted in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
“I feel, with great joy, a certain momentum on the question of having a real discussion on how we can facilitate organ donation, how we can improve the situation in Quebec in relation to organ donation,” s Mr. Fortin is delighted.
In April, this same MP tabled Bill 194 proposing the “Act establishing a presumption of consent to the donation of organs or tissues after death”.
Presumed consent means that rather than having to request proof of consent from a deceased patient, their status as a donor would be presumed until proven otherwise.
During Tuesday’s press briefing, Minister Bélanger suggested that the government could table its own bill after the parliamentary committee.
According to her, it would be possible to have it adopted during the current legislature. “Today, it’s a formal gesture, we want to be on the legislative agenda eventually,” she indicated.
Transplant Quebec wants government action
Tuesday, before the parliamentarians’ press briefing, the Transplant Québec organization reiterated its invitation to the Quebec government to review the laws and put in place effective processes to increase organ donation rates.
As of December 31, in Quebec, 913 people were waiting for a donation, while 483 people were able to be transplanted during the year, according to Transplant Quebec. The organization reports, however, that the number of organ donations remained lower than that of other Canadian provinces and countries such as Spain and the United States.
The general director of Transplant Québec, Martine Bouchard, maintains that significant progress could be made through coherent reforms.
The organization suggests that a comprehensive bill relate in particular to the organization of donation, the training of health professionals, the role and influence of relatives of the deceased, awareness of the Quebec population and consent.
On World Organ Donation and Transplant Day on Tuesday, Transplant Québec unveiled a public action in the morning to draw attention to the importance of adopting a legislative framework to optimize donation in Quebec. An oversized silicone heart placed in the center of a 2.4 meter high ice wall was placed in front of the National Assembly until Thursday.