Q: Transplant Québec indicates an average wait time of 538 days for a kidney transplant in 2020. This average does not seem to reflect the reality of the wait. I am still waiting for a kidney transplant since April 2018, more or less 1300 days!
Francois Dorais
A: Mr. Dorais adds that “in Quebec, in 2020, 43 people died on the transplant waiting list and the organ donation rate is one of the lowest in Canada. Despite this catastrophic situation, we learn that more than 22% of potential donation references are refused by the family ”.
It is true to say that 43 people died while they were waiting for a transplant, but it is not entirely correct to say that organ donation in Quebec is the lowest in Canada, according to Sylvain Lavigne, director of clinical services at Transplant Quebec, the organization that manages organ donations from deceased people.
In fact, Quebec is in the Canadian average. The best performing provinces to date are Ontario and British Columbia.
What about those families who refuse to honor the wishes of a deceased person who wished to donate one or more organs. This reason actually represents 20% of all refusals, for all reasons. We are therefore talking about marginal situations, ie around 4% rather than 22%.
That said, the system can of course be improved. All eyes are on Nova Scotia, which has just passed new laws related to organ donation, including recognition of the concept of presumed consent. In Quebec, we also want to review the legislative context, so that, among other things, each potential donor is identified. We must also review the training of professionals, according to Mr. Lavigne of Transplant Quebec, and ensure better coordination in hospitals.