Warm hearts, cold numbers: organ donations in Baden-Württemberg stagnate

Warm hearts, cold numbers: organ donations in Baden-Württemberg stagnate

In Baden-Württemberg, the number of organ donors is further declining, while the number of patients who are waiting for a donor organ remains worryingly high. A total of 946 people are on this list, with 735 people urgently needing a kidney. In the first eight months of the year, on the other hand, only 83 organ donors were recorded, which represents a decline compared to the 99 donors in the previous year. This stagnating trend has accepted alarming proportions in the past ten years.

The country's health minister, Manne Lucha of the Greens, commented on these developments and emphasized that 73 percent of Germans are positive about organ donation. "Nevertheless, the number of donors remains terrifyingly low," said Lucha. He emphasized that three people nationwide die on the waiting list for an organ every day, and that the average waiting time for a kidney is now eight years old.

solution solution as a potential solution

Baden-Württemberg plans to reform organ donation with a new draft law. Currently, people have to record their wish for organ donation in writing. Otherwise the decision lies with the relatives. The state government proposes that everyone will automatically be considered an organ donor in the future, unless it expressly contradicts. This "resolution", which has already been successfully implemented in many European neighboring countries, has now been discussed in the Federal Council.

However, the German Organ Transplantation (DSO) Foundation shows that only 15 percent of potential organ donors actually have an organ donation card or a living will. This makes the situation even more complicated, as many relatives hesitate to make a decision in emotional moments and do not agree with the donor in eight out of ten cases.

The DSO, however, has expressed itself skeptically with regard to the resolution solution: "International experiences show that the introduction of this regulation does not increase the number of organ donation," explained a spokeswoman. Nevertheless, the approach could contribute to organ donation in the clinics more and more prepared for the patients.

organ donations from abroad

Another point that Minister Lucha spoke about affects organ donations from abroad. As a member of Eurotransplant, Germany benefits from the higher number of donations in other European countries, which often apply a resolution. This year, 58 of the 393 transplanted organs in Baden-Württemberg already come from international donors.

For citizens who want to communicate their will regarding organ donation, there has been an online portal since March. People aged 16 and over can register at www.organspende-beist.de. Registration is voluntary and free of charge and can be changed or deleted at any time, whereby the conventional organ donation ID cards remain valid.