Even though more people than ever are signing organ donor cards, the odds are getting worse. In 10 short years, the number of people in the province waiting for organs has tripled, while the number of donors has fallen. Ontario had only 133 brain-dead organ donors last year, down from 166 in 1990. In years to come, unless significant changes are made in our organ-recovery system, the waiting lists will continue to grow, the wait will get longer and more people will die. Contrary to public perception, it's not simply a donor problem.
Most people are willing to give up their organs and many sign donor cards saying so.
But what they're not doing is taking the time to make sure their families know their wishes. And even when they do, there is no process in place in our beleaguered health-care system to ensure these committed donors are identified when they die. The lack of financial incentives. The lack of knowledge among most hospital workers, who receive no training about organ donation. A lack of hospital leadership to encourage donations and spell out to staff exactly what should happen when a potential donor becomes available.