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
