Voters can pledge at polls to opt in for organ donation

When you vote in the municipal elections on Tuesday, you can do another good deed – obtain an ADI card showing that you are willing to donate organs to save other lives upon your demise.

The National Center for Transplantation (Israel Transplant) is launching a nationwide campaign on that day to sign an ADI card by sending 200 representatives to major polling stations in the cities and towns and at accessible ones in hospitals.

The ADI card is named for Ehud Ben Dror, who died while waiting for a kidney donation. In 2008, responding to a widening gap between the need and availability of transplant organs, the Health Ministry adopted a program that provides incentives for cadaveric organ donation.

One’s signature testifies to the willingness of the holder to donate his or her organs after death to save the lives of patients waiting for a transplant. Individuals can also sign up for a card digitally online.

Prof. Shlomo Mor-Yosef, the new chairman of Israel Transplant’s Steering Committee, who just replaced retiring Prof. Rafael Beyar, said: “I’m excited about the signing campaign. We all know how important it is to have an ADI card, which is significant for families when deciding on actual organ donation. I call on the public to sign the card en masse. This is a mutual guarantee for its own sake, as those who get ADI cards also have priority in getting a donated organ if they need one.”

Israel Transplant Director Dr. Tamar Ashkenazi said: “From my experience, I know that signing for a card on Election Days results in many joining the pool of signatories, and I hope that the feeling of unity in the nation and the sanctity of life alongside it will bring many at this time as well.”