Berlin. In the fight for more life-saving organ donations, more suggestions are being discussed. FDP legal expert Katrin Helling-Plahr suggested expanding the possibilities during the donors’ lifetime. She welcomed a proposal initiated by the Federal Cabinet Account. Partial restrictions on kidney donations alone are incomprehensible, she told the German Press Agency. “The Transplant Act already allows the transfer of other organs, such as parts of the liver, lungs, intestines or pancreas, between relatives.”
According to the legal plans, kidney donations should also be permitted between two different couples in the future. If this is not medically possible between donation pairs (donor/recipient), the kidney should not only go to the intended close person, but also “cross-matched” to a suitable recipient who is also not compatible with the intended close donor. In return, the kidney from the donor of the other couple goes to the recipient of the first couple.
The potential of altruistic donation during life must be better utilized
Helling-Plahr said: “It is not clear why cross-donations should now only be legally permitted for kidneys.” Therefore, the usefulness and practicality of such a restriction will have to be discussed in the discussions in the Bundestag. The MP also welcomed the proposed possibility of altruistic kidney donations without the knowledge of the recipient. The FDP parliamentary group has long called for better use of the potential of altruistic living donation in order to help affected people who are urgently waiting for an organ.
Another topic in the Bundestag is the reform of the rules for organ donation after death. A group of representatives presented a inter-party initiative which aims to introduce a legal objection regulation. This means that everyone must initially be considered a donor – unless you object. Currently, organ removal is only permitted with express consent. first try A contradictory solution failed in the Bundestag in 2020. (dpa)