Tell organization of possible organ donors

It goes without saying the tragic Broncos bus accident that took so many lives has sent out shock waves and the impact will be felt by the community and the province as a whole for quite some time.

In the midst of such a shocking tragedy the next of kin for Logan Boulet granted consent to donate his organs, a generous act during a difficult time. Premier Scott Moe praised this young man for signing a donor card. However, in Saskatchewan that is rather a moot point. It is wonderful that the Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) was able to meet with his family and discuss this process with them. Organ donation and transplantation (ODT) is very poorly understood, even among medical professionals.

As candidacy for donation only comes in difficult circumstances, most often in cases of neurological determined death (NDD), it’s often the last thing next of kin or attending nurses and physicians have on their mind. This is why mandatory reporting is a policy where the health region notifies the OPO of any viable candidate so they can reach out to the family and see if they are interested in having a conversation about donation.

Mandatory reporting does not mean that one must donate organs, but rather that the trained OPO professionals have the opportunity to at least contact the next of kin and compassionately discuss the process and answer any questions. Without mandatory reporting, we run the risk of viable organs from willing donors going to waste.

The only mandatory component is the OPO be notified. Next of kin is free to say yes or to say no. The fact of the matter is that we, as Saskatchewanians, deserve the right to be asked.

There is a long way to go in terms of formal registries and inter-provincial co-ordination but mandatory reporting is a simple measure with little cost. Everyone is still free to decline, but we prevent the lost opportunities for those who want to say yes. Please Premier Moe, bring Saskatchewan in line with the rest of this country. Bring in mandatory reporting.

Wendy Sherar, Regina