***Media Release***
 
GiveLife NZ
15 July 2008
 
Govt. Reveals it will do nothing to increase donors
 
'The government is going backwards when other countries are moving forwards when it comes to organ donation.' says Andy Tookey of GiveLife.
 
In today's reply to National MP Dr.Jackie Blue's questions on organ donation, the government revealed that there has not been a single dollar spent on organ donation awareness in the past five years and it has no intention of having an awareness campaign in the future.
 
This is despite previous recommendations from the Health Select Committee calling for 'urgent' action.
 
Australia announced last week that they are to spend around $13 million on organ donation awareness despite having a higher donor rate than New Zealand. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said he wants to triple the donor rate in Australia.
 
The government has gone back on it's 2005 pre-election promise of an organ donor register, meaning that there is nowhere for people to record their informed consent to be a donor. They have announced that they will not pay organ donors' funeral costs as it would be illegal, even though that is far from the truth, and now they say there will be no public awareness campaign to help lift us out of third world status when it comes to organ donation.
 
It is obvious that they are not taking seriously that we have a major problem and that many people will suffer and die as a consequence of their inaction. Said Mr.Tookey.
 
***ENDS***
 

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