Quebec will study assumed consent for organ donations

QUEBEC — The provincial government will study presumed consent for organ donation in a parliamentary committee.

“There will be a parliamentary committee that will be responsible for examining all of the processes related to organ donation and transplant, including prevention, awareness raising, staff training, collaborative work with Transplant Québec, and, of course, the whole aspect of consent,” said the Minister responsible for Seniors, Sonia Bélanger, in a press briefing that brought together representatives of the three opposition parties.

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A motion from the Liberal MNA for Pontiac, André Fortin, to request a consultation on the subject was unanimously adopted in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

“I feel, with great joy, a certain momentum on the question of having a real discussion on how we can facilitate organ donation, how we can improve the situation in Quebec in relation to organ donation,” Fortin said.

In April, Fortin tabled Bill 194 proposing “An Act to establish a presumption of consent to organ or tissue donation after death.”

Presumed consent means that rather than having to request proof of consent from a deceased patient, their status as a donor would be presumed until proven otherwise.

During Tuesday’s press briefing, Bélanger suggested that the government could table its own bill after the parliamentary committee hearings.

According to her, it would be possible to have it adopted during the current legislature.

“Today, it’s a formal gesture, we want to be on the legislative agenda eventually,” she said.

Transplant Québec wants government action

Tuesday, before the parliamentarians’ press briefing, the Transplant Québec non-profit organization reiterated its invitation to the Quebec government to review the law and put in place effective processes to increase organ donation rates.

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As of Dec. 31 in Quebec, 913 people were waiting for a donation, while 483 people were transplanted during the year, according to Transplant Québec. The organization reports, however, that the rate of organ donations remained lower than that of other Canadian provinces and countries such as Spain and the United States.

The executive director of Transplant Québec, Martine Bouchard, maintains that significant progress could be made through coherent reforms.

The organization suggests that a comprehensive bill relate in particular to the organization of donation, the training of health professionals, the role and influence of relatives of the deceased, awareness of the Quebec population and consent.

On World Organ Donation and Transplant Day on Tuesday, Transplant Québec unveiled a public action in the morning to draw attention to the importance of adopting a legislative framework to optimize donation in Quebec. An oversized silicone heart placed in the centre of a 2.4-metre-high ice wall was placed in front of the National Assembly until Thursday.