Harsh Economic Times Hit Live Donors

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Media Release
Harsh Economic Times Hit Live Donors
 
15 March 2009 
 
 
 
 
Kidney Health Australia today said the increasingly harsh economy will make it harder for many live donors to give the gift of life.

Kidney Health Australia is encouraging both the State and Federal Governments to look at a way of setting up a simple process or one phone number where live donors who are experiencing financial problems can have their cases managed and details assessed promptly.

In 2008 there were a total of 812 kidney transplants, 43% (353) were from live donors, 47% (459) were from deceased donors. The wait for a kidney transplant on average is four to five years. There are currently 1300 people waiting for a kidney transplant.
Kidney transplants account for 65% of all organs transplanted in Australia from live and deceased donors.

Anne Wilson CEO of Kidney Health Australia said, live donors under the current system have nowhere to go as the health system does not recognise the financial hardship faced by live donors, many of whom are self employed or on contract work.

The case of a young mother with two toddlers, wanting to donate a kidney to her seriously ill husband whilst being on contract work, which means she does not get paid if she cannot work whilst recovering for a minimum of a month from the transplant operation, dramatically highlights the need for a safety net approach.

"Families in this situation are already under great emotional stress and if the live donor is either part time, under contract or is self employed, the loss of about five to six weeks wages whilst the bills keep coming in can increase both the emotional and financial stress dramatically.

Kidney Health Australia has long advocated a policy that live donors should be recognised with a base CentreLink payment for the time they are off work preparing and recovering after the operation or a set allowance of $6,000 to $8,000.

Ms Wilson said, "In the wake of the economic crisis, which is putting more pressure on live donors especially the self employed, the time is appropriate to do something about this issue as quickly as possible.

"In the past people have tried to link this concept to payment for organs in arguing the do nothing case, this is a dubious and ill informed argument as the proposed approach would be highly regulated through a government agency, with set criteria on an case by case basis. Live donors are already in the system having gone through a rigorous selection process."

Kidney Health Australia is confident that the establishment of a system to assist live donors and their families who are in economic stress with some basic financial help would have bi-partisan support in the Federal Parliament.

"The establishment of the National Organ, Tissue Donation and Transplantation Authority to coordinate activity and implement program reforms in the future will provide far better outcomes for individuals and the community, however, we will need a financial safety net approach in some cases."

Media Enquiries:
Anne Wilson, CEO, Kidney Health Australia Mobile: 0400 165 391
Dr Tim Mathew, Medical Director, Kidney Health Australia Mobile: 0416 149 863
Ron Smith, National Media Communications, Kidney Health Australia (03) 9818 5700,
Mobile: 0417 329 201