***Media Release***
 
GiveLife NZ
21 May 2008
 
Pay Organ Donors Funeral Costs
 
"Media reports that Otago University is to stop accepting bodies donated for medical study due to too many donations could give the government 'a clue' in increasing the number of organ donors as well." says GiveLife NZ Spokesman Andy Tookey.
 
"Why are they suspending donations for the rest of the year and have another 1800 people on their books wanting to donate?"
 
"The answer may be that they pay for the transport costs and the funeral costs of the donor."
 
"If the government paid for the funerals of organ donors a lot more people would probably be prepared to be a donor as it would take the financial burden off their family at a traumatic time."
 
"Around 45% of families say no to donation of a family member. This would probably drop substantially if they were aware that the costs were to be met.
 
As one organ donor can save many lives and get people off expensive medical treatments saving the government millions of dollars a year, the least the government could do is show their appreciation for that by covering the burial costs.
 
To give further incentive for people to become organ donors they can sign up to New Zealand's Only Organ Donor Register at www.lifesharers.org.nz LifeSharers members offer to donate upon their death, and direct that their organs be offered first to other registered organ donors. This creates more organ donors, and saves more lives. It also makes the organ donor system fairer by giving priority to those who offer to donate over those who refuse to be donors."
 
ends
 
 

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