7 August 2004

And the score is. Romania 200,000 New Zealand 0

Lancet - The UK medical publication has revealed this weekend that Romania, a country that is not in the 'first' world listing is spending the equivalent of NZ $200,000 to promote organ donation.

In contrast, the Minister of Health for NZ. (A first world country) Annette King, in reply to Parliamentary questions has admitted that not spent a single dollar has been spent on organ donor awareness. in the past five years.

Andy Tookey of GiveLife NZ said 'It doesn't surprise me, but it is disappointing that when it comes to saving lives in this area we are a third world country. The fact that Romania can do it but we cannot should be a huge embarrassment to this country.

There is no policy, direction or leadership in this area and until there is we will continue to be at the bottom of the world in organ donor rates, and lives will continue to be unnecessarily lost as a result.'