Gift of Life Cost Donor $6000

[Wattle]

Kidney Health Australia
Media Release

Gift of Life Cost Donor $6000
 
 
12 March 2008
 


Joe Ryan from Newcastle, who recently donated his kidney to his brother saving the community some $70,000 a year dialysis cost, said the Gift of Life had left him $6,000 out of pocket.

Mr. Ryan said he was speaking out over the matter in the lead up to World Kidney Day to bring the issue to the notice of MPS and health bureaucrats as the issue seems to be parked in a no action zone.

Self employed Joe had to make several trips to Sydney and pay for accommodation to stay overnight to be prepared for the transplant operation.
This was followed by a month off work to recover after the operation.

"As a self employed person by donating my kidney meant I had no income for about five weeks as bills kept rolling in which made things financially difficult."

Mr. Ryan said that apart from the obvious lack of some basic financial support for live donors, the system of reimbursement for costs such as petrol at 30 cents a litre included a mile of red tape where the donor had to chase the surgeon's or their assistant's signature to be reimbursed. The overnight allowance to find somewhere to stay is just $35.00.

"In Australia where we have around 1300 people on a waiting list for a kidney transplant and everyone is saying there is a lack of donors, they don't seem to be trying to encourage and assist people who are willing to donate kidney."

Anne Wilson CEO of Kidney Health Australia said the former Federal Government and health bureaucracies rejected the concept put forward by Kidney Health Australia that live donors received a basic CentreLink payment for the time they were off work whilst recovering from the transplant operation.

"This is not a big budget ticket item, but a cost saving program."

Ms Wilson said, "with the health budget for dialysis blowing out at $1 million a week as six people a day enter dialysis at a cost of $70,000 each annually, the option of a small payment of around $6,000 for a live kidney donor to assist them and their family pay the bills is both reasonable and sensible.

"We have been encouraged that the Federal Government is looking to introduce a far more coordinated approach to organ donation and hope this small expense payment will be included as an option which donors who need financial support can access.

"At present there are some 1300 people waiting for a kidney transplant in Australia and the average waiting time is four to five years," Ms Wilson said.

Media Enquiries:
Anne Wilson, CEO Kidney Health Australia Mobile: 0400 165 391
Ron Smith Media Communications Kidney Health Australia Mobile: 0417 329 201 to arrange an interview with Joe Ryan.


 

[okarol]

If I was his brother I would have paid his travel and lodging. If I couldn't afford that I would have done some fundraising. We have short-term disability for time off work for this. But since he's self-employed it might make a difference. All of these issues should be made clear to the person before they are accepted as a donor, because there currently isn't much financial aid available. It's sad, but until something changes, living donors will either have to ask the recipient for reimbursement, or shoulder the costs themselves.