Opinions aired on tissue storage, organ donation

28.04.2004
By JAMES GARDINER
Consultation has begun over planned changes to the law relating to the storage and use of body parts and human tissue.

In Wellington yesterday, the Health Ministry held the first of a series of public meetings to gauge opinion on issues such as informed consent for organ donation for medical treatment and research, and whether families should have the right to overrule the wishes of would-be donors.

The planned law change stems in part from the discovery two years ago that Green Lane Hospital was holding 1300 hearts and other organs of dead children without their families' knowledge.

It is also an attempt to provide a single regulatory framework that takes into account public opinion, cultural issues, changing technology and new research methods.

Just over 40 people attended the all-day meeting, about half of them from health-related organisations or the ministry itself.

Ministry deputy director-general Dr Gillian Durham said she was delighted with the turnout from the public and the responses in group discussions aimed at getting people's views on how the rules should be framed.

Participant Wendy Kaczorowski, who described herself as a "lay person", said the meeting was informative and she urged others to attend meetings in Christchurch (tomorrow), Dunedin on Friday and Auckland next Thursday.

"A lot more people should be attending as lay people because unless you're here you're not going to be able to put your point across," she said after the meeting.

Dr Durham said between 30 and 50 people had registered interest in attending the remaining meetings, but registrations for two consultation hui aimed at Maori in Rotorua (next Tuesday) and Christchurch on May 11 were lower, with between five and 15 indicating they would come. But it was not necessary to register, she said.

A discussion document and details about the meetings are on the ministry's website.

The Government aims to have a bill introduced to Parliament by December and enacted in the middle of next year.

http://www.moh.govt.nz