Deceased organ donation: integrated database for Kazakhstan

Creation of an electronic donor database is suggested as one of the major steps in developing deceased organ donation in Kazakhstan, Tengrinews reports citing the President of the Amansaulyk Bakhyt Tumenov. The lawmakers are planning to implement a law whereby organs for donations will be recovered without consent of the relatives of the deceased, in case there are necessary papers signed by the deceased at the notary public. “I wholeheartedly support cadaveric donation. If a person had signed a document where he states willingness to donate organs upon his death, there is a great chance that lives will be saved. But there are several issues. A database is required to make cadaveric donation legal. It has to be unified, electronic and highly secure,” Tumenov said. Tumenov added that after a person signs the required documents his or her name would go straight into the database that can be accessed from all hospitals and transplantation centers. In addition, it is important to create awareness among the general public about the project. A Kazakhstan lawmaker Aldan Smaiylov considers it to be a humanitarian way to save someone’s life. “We are discussing the legislation. There is no unified opinion about it, but I think the legislation will be passed,” he added. At the same time there is a certain controversy connected with cadaveric donation. The general public is neither sufficiently informed of nor ready for voluntary organ donation. In addition, according to one of the veterans of the transplantation field there is a danger of corruption. For instance, wealthy relatives of a patient might force doctors and then another patients with healthy organs could be sacrificed. If the legislation is passed, the organ transplantation from a deceased donor will not require relative’s consent. This will be a part of the changes in the Public health and Healthcare system legislation. It could be a solution for the 80 percent of patients awaiting a donor. The Grand Mufti of Kazakhstan expressed his approval of organ donation as an act of goodness. For a Muslim dominant society creating awareness through religious as well as social institutions is strategic in terms of cadaveric donation. By Roza Yessenkulova